The Great American Songbook: Berklee On Broadway

[opi@berklee.edu]

Berklee Goes Broadway with Showtunes from Some of the Best Musicals in American Theatre, February 24, at the Berklee Performance Center



Boston, MA, January 30, 2008 – For one February night neon lights are guaranteed to shine bright in Boston as The Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee presents The Great American Songbook: Berklee On Broadway, featuring songs from some of the best-known musicals staged at the most famous theatre halls in America. A few of the college’s finest faculty, alumni, and students will make classics shine from award–winning shows like Carousel, West Side Story, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Phantom of the Opera, and many more.

Showtime is 8:15 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. Tickets are $20, $15.00 for seniors, and can be purchased at the BPC box office, through Ticketmaster 617 931-2000, and at ticketmaster.com. Call 617 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more information. The BPC is wheelchair accessible.

Berklee's Great American Songbook concerts are presented annually to pay tribute to songwriters who contributed to the compendium of mid-20th century popular song. This year’s concert program reads like a marquee of legendary composers: Ira Gershwin, Rogers & Hammerstein, Fats Waller, Stephen Sondheim, among other greats.

And though the line-up comes from the Broadway catalog, the audience can expect to hear pop, R&B, jazz, cabaret, and blues from “When You’re Good to Mama” (Chicago) and “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” (Oklahoma), to “Home” (The Wiz) and “Aquarius” (Hair). Just like the song says “The Joint [will be] Jumpin’” (one of several songs from Ain’t Misbehavin’ to be featured that night) as a stellar band of Berklee faculty and student musicians- including vocalists Donna McElroy, Gabriel Goodman, and Darcel Wilson- perform a playbill of select masterpieces. There’s sure to be something that appeals to many types of music fans with award–winning, genre-blending acapella group Vox One and internationally-known, vocal group Syncopation delivering a few special arrangements for a new twist to some of the most popular and acclaimed hits in American musical theatre.

The 2007–2008 Sovereign Bank Music Series at Berklee offers a wide variety of music, ranging from rock, jazz, and Latin, to r&b, hip-hop, and show and film tunes. Upcoming concerts include the SFJAZZ Collective and the Singers Showcase. Berklee's outstanding students, faculty, and alumni are highlighted in this unique and astonishing season.