JERRY HERMAN: The Broadway Legacy Concert Details

Produced by The ASCAP Foundation and Spot-On Entertainment

Jerry Herman is a legendary composer/lyricist of the American Musical Theatre and one of Broadway’s most beloved icons. From “Hello, Dolly” and “Mame” to “Mack and Mabel” and “La Cage aux Folles,” Jerry Herman’s songs have lit up Broadway for decades with toe-tapping, soul-stirring musical showstoppers. Now he’s sharing his great musical legacy with a new generation of music lovers.

The ASCAP Foundation and Spot-On Entertainment proudly present JERRY HERMAN: THE BROADWAY LEGACY CONCERT starring a cast of New York’s top Broadway and concert stars celebrating the songs and the stories of one of the true giants of the theatre.

SHOW & CAST BIOS

Cast

Vocalists
KLEA BLACKHURST
SCOTT COULTER
JASON GRAAE
DEBBIE GRAVITTE
RON RAINES

Piano
JOHN BOSWELL

Associate Producer
MICHAEL A. KERKER

Original Orchestrations by DON PIPPIN
New Orchestrations by RYAN SHIRAR

Special thanks to Don Pippin, Colleen McDonough and Terry Marler

Cast subject to change.

Producers

THE ASCAP FOUNDATION (Producer)
The ASCAP Foundation, established in 1975, is a publicly supported charitable organization dedicated to nurturing the music talent of tomorrow, preserving the legacy of the past and sustaining the creative incentive for today’s creators through a variety of educational, professional and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, public service projects for senior composers and lyricists, and providing grants to other 501(c)(3) organizations engaged in educational programs for aspiring songwriters and composers.

The ASCAP Foundation supports programs in all musical genres that are national and regional in scope.

In the 40 years since its inception, The ASCAP Foundation has granted over $18 million to support countless music creators and over 2000 organizations nationwide.  And it continues to find new ways to nurture and develop music creators of all kinds.
The ASCAP Foundation is funded by contributions, bequests and grants from music lovers throughout the United States.  All contributions toward supporting the talent of tomorrow are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

SPOT-ON ENTERTAINMENT (Producer)
Spot-On Entertainment is a concert production/booking company based in New York City owned and founded by Scott Coulter. Original Spot-On productions created for theaters and symphonies include The King: The Music of Elvis and ReImagined: The Music of the Beatles (both produced with TCG), Music of the Knights: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, The Fella Sings Ella!, You’ve Got a Friend: Carole King, Neil Sedaka and the Music of the Brill Building and Blockbuster Broadway! Other shows include Defying Gravity: Stephen Schwartz & Friends, Southern Comfort, Cinema Toast: The Music of the Movies and Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert which is co-produced by Spot-On and the ASCAP Foundation.

MICHAEL A. KERKER (Associate Producer)
Michael A. Kerker has been Director of Musical Theatre for ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) since 1990. In addition to coordinating ASCAP’s Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, he works with DreamWorks Theatricals to produce the ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles, (both of which are led by composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz). Together with Michael Feinstein, he produces a regular series of concerts at Carnegie Hall highlighting the catalogue of both legendary and contemporary songwriters.

Michael is also producing a regular series of interview programs entitled “Broadway: Up Close and Personal” for the Kennedy Center. Michael’s onstage conversations with some of our nation’s most prominent songwriters have included evenings with Jerry Herman, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Charles Strouse, Sheldon Harnick, Marvin Hamlisch, and Stephen Schwartz.

Michael produced the ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Program, which is a series of seminars, master classes and concerts featuring the legendary composer/lyricist. The program has been presented nationwide in such cities as Chicago, Sundance, San Francisco, Phoenix, Savannah, Miami and Pittsburgh.

Michael is proud to be a member of the Boards of the Actors Fund and the Johnny Mercer Foundation

Letters To Be Included In The Program

Jerry Herman Letter

I have been so blessed to be able to spend my creative life in the theatre and to give musical voice to such wonderful characters as Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!); Georges and Albin (La Cage Aux Folles); and Mame Dennis (Mame). I always wrote for specific characters and specific situations. To know that my songs could also have a life outside of their respective shows was always a welcoming surprise to me.

When The ASCAP Foundation approached me about presenting a new program consisting of nationwide concerts featuring my songs with symphony orchestras and a series of master classes targeting university/college students in writing and performing for the musical theatre I was thrilled. And I couldn’t have asked for a more sterling cast to sing my songs. They are some of Broadway’s most acclaimed talents: Debbie Gravitte, Ron Raines, Jason Graae, Klea Blackhurst and Scott Coulter.

I am delighted to have them representing my musical legacy and bringing my songs to you this evening. Clearly, for me, the “Best of Times is Now.”

Jerry Herman

Michael Kerker / ASCAP Letter

Jerry Herman’s love affair with musical theatre began as a very young child when his parents took him to see Irving Berlin’s Annie get your Gun. Jerry was so engaged by the musical’s score that when he returned home from the theatre he went straight to the piano and was able to play some of the songs from the show.

Knowing that he wanted to be a songwriter, Jerry Herman could not have asked for a better master teacher than Irving Berlin. Mr.Berlin’s influence is clearly evident when you listen to the songs of Jerry Herman. Like Mr.Berlin, Jerry’s songs couple deeply heartfelt lyrics with gorgeous strong melodies. They go straight to the listener’s ear with a heft of emotion and sincerity. This accounts for the love affair that audiences have with the music and lyrics of Jerry Herman.

This evening’s concert features many of those Jerry Herman classics that are certain to have you beaming with the recognition of meeting an old friend. These will be the songs from his biggest hit musicals: Hello, Dolly!; Mame; and La Cage Aux Folles. We also wanted to possibly introduce you to a few songs from musicals you may not have seen: Dear World; Milk and Honey; Mack and Mabel; and The Grand Tour.

All these shows represent the golden legacy that account for the durability and timeless quality of Jerry’s enormous catalogue of songs. These shows and songs have earned Jerry virtually every award imaginable: Tonys’ Grammys; the Richard Rodgers Award; the Johnny Mercer Award; the Oscar Hammerstein Award; and the richly deserved Kennedy Center Honors.

I have known Jerry Herman for over 30 years. I can tell you for a fact that the joy and love that is in his musical legacy is also in the man himself. His musical genius and his stature as one of the most beloved Broadway icons is what we are celebrating this evening!

Michael A. Kerker
(Associate Producer)

Instrumentation

Symphony (48 piece)

group travels with piano and drums though drum parts available if local drummer preferred

2 flutes (2nd dbl picc)
2 oboes
2 clarinets
2 bassoons

3 horns
3 trumpets
3 trombones
1 tuba

1 percussion
1 timpani

8 1st violins
6 2nd violins
4 violas
4 cellos
3 bass

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