MARK AUERBACH
Next At The Bushnell: “Nice Work If You Can Get It”
The national company of the 2012 musical, “Nice Work If You Can Get It” is stopping at The Bushnell in Hartford (February 3-8). Joe DiPietro, the playwright who’s fashioning a new comedy for Renee Fleming’s Broadway debut this season, and who won accolades for his musical “Memphis”, took a batch of catalogue songs by George and Ira Gershwin, and turned it into a 1920s musical pastiche. Sound familiar ? An early version of the musical had a tryout at Goodspeed under the title of “They All Laughed” a decade ago.
The Gershwins wrote a caralogue of hits, from “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” to “Someone To Watch Over Me” and “S’Wonderful”.Their musicals are frequently revived (“Lady Be Good” gets a run at Encores in New York City next week). Two previous Broadway hits have borrowed from The Gershwins’ library, the toe-tapping “My One and Only” with Tommy Tune and Twiggy in the 1980s, and “Crazy for You” a decade later. “Nice Work If You Can Get It” starred Kelli O’Hara and Matthew Broderick, with staging by Kathleen Marshall. Two members of the supporting cast, Judy Kaye and Michael McGrath, took home Tony Awards that season.
For tickets: 413-987-5900 or www.bushnell.org.
“Nice Work If You Can Get It” at The Bushnell. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
The FAC Gala: Red and Hot!
The Friends of the UMass Fine Arts Center Gala is an A-List party, and on February 7, they plan to paint the town red hot. Guests, asked to wear a red tie and their most “smokin’ attire”, walk the red carpet at the UMass Student Union, pick an array of options at a silent and live auction, feast on a meal by UMass’ award-winning catering services, and dance to “Fever”, the local party band playing disco, jazz, funk, rock, pop and reggae, complete with a full horn section.
“Jeans ‘n Classics” soloist Gavin Hope performs with the Springfield Symphony Pops.
“Last year’s gala sold out” said UMass Fine Arts Center Development Director John Ebbets, “The gala is a fun event that supports the FAC’s core work of exposing the arts to many throughout our communities.”
The UMass Fine Arts Center brings an array of classical and modern dance, classical music, jazz, opera, Broadway, and pop acts to the region, as well as provides entertainment and educational programs at prices accessible to the communities it serves.
“The gala raises funds to provide access and deeper engagement with the arts to our diverse and the multi-generational communities throughout the Pioneer Valley in a variety of ways”, added Ebbets.”Every season, the Fine Arts Center’s Angel Ticket Program provides complimentary tickets to residents in the tri-county area whose financial and/or social situation would otherwise prohibit them from experiencing live performances. Funds also go to support the Global Arts programs for K-12 student performances, artists-in-residency workshops, Jazz in July scholarships and internships at the University Museum”
For tickets: 413-545-2511 or 800-999-UMASS.
“Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy” will be screened at the Yiddish Book Center.
Keep in Mind…
***Warren Wolf and his quartet Wolfpack, bring some sizzling jazz to UMass’ Bowker Auditorium on February 5, as part of the 17th Annual Billy Taylor Jazz Residency. Wolf will play the vibraphone and marimbas while his quartet features Alex Brown on piano and Fender Rhodes, Kris Funn on bass and Billy Williams on drums. For tickets: 413-545-2511, 800-999-UMASS or www.fineartscenter.com.
***30th Annual UMass High School Honor Band Concert, February 7, at the UMass Fine Arts Center, brings together 250 outstanding musicians from 50 high schools in seven states, including three students from Longmeadow High School–Zachart Strempol, Alison Denno, and Nolan Brown. Showtime is 7 p.m. Admission is free.
***Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, a documentary about some of those Jewish composers (Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, The Gershwins) and narrated by Joel Grey, will be screened at Amherst’s Yiddish Book Center on February 8. For information:
http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/events/15/02/film-broadway-musicals-jewish-legacy
***The Springfield Symphony Orchestra and its Pops franchise, Jeans ‘n Classics, present an evening of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits on February 7 at Symphony Hall. Nick Palmer conducts and Gavin Hope is vocalist. To add to the evening, This concert is dubbed “College Night” and there’s an after-party. For tickets: 413-733-2291 or www.springfieldsymphony.org
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
