The Elements of Tom Lehrer at Theatre at the Tabard

The songs of one of the greatest American songwriters, performed by Stefan Bednarczyk

Whether you’re poisoning pigeons in the park, doing the Vatican rag, or remembering your periodic table, there’s no situation in life that can’t be made better, or, at least, clearer, by the great American songwriter Tom Lehrer. Catchy tunes and pin-sharp lyrics combine in this perennially popular show.

From the space race to mathematics, from politics to pigeons, from chemistry to Catholicism: no subject is too big or small for Tom Lehrer’s razor-sharp wit. Sometimes satirical and sometimes absurd, Lehrer’s songs capture the spirit of an age.

Peppered with deliciously funny anecdotes, Stefan Bednarczyk’s show, sung from the piano, includes such classics as ‘The Vatican Rag’, ‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’, ‘Clementine’, and ‘The Elements’. 

Acclaimed as one of the greatest American songwriters, Tom Lehrer combined his musical career with lecturing in mathematics and the American Musical.