Irving Berlin’s I LOVE A PIANO comes to the Plaza
for One Performance Only!
Friday, November 14 at 8 p.m.
Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano is coming to the Plaza Theatre for one enchanting performance on Friday, November 14 at 8 p.m. Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano is a delightful new musical revue that spans over seven decades of American History as seen through the insightful and earnest eyes of Irving Berlin, a man whom Jerome Kern described by saying “Irving Berlin has no place in American Music…he IS American music!” Tickets, priced from $26.50 to $46.50, will go on sale Tomorrow, September 26 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 915-544-8444.
Using 64 of Berlin’s enduring and popular favorites, I Love A Piano captures the spirit of America from the ragtime era of the early 20th century through the swinging elegance of the 1920’s and 30’s. From the songs that inspired a nation through the Great Depression to the innocent optimism of the 1950’s, I Love A Piano embarks on an enduring journey through musical heaven. Timeless classics, such as “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Change Partners,” “How Deep Is The Ocean,”“God Bless America,” and “White Christmas,” do more than identify the music of a generation, they define the music of our country.
Now, I Love A Piano will bring its exuberant show-stopping song and dance numbers to the Centre! Under the direction and choreography of Ray Roderick, who co-created the show with Michael Berkely, the magic of each song brings new life to the material for the contemporary audience. This revitalized production brings today’s audiences into the lavish musical world of Irving Berlin while holding true to its nostalgic nature.
Variety reviewed it by saying: “Ray Roderick may love a piano, but his heart truly belongs to Irving Berlin. Roderick directed and choreographed this tribute revue and co-wrote it with Michael Berkeley. His affection for Berlin's songs has resulted in an energetic, animated presentation of nearly 60 of Berlin's tunes, ranging from 1911's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to selections from 1950's "Call Me Madam."”
The Boston Globe called it “A spectrum of brilliant Berlin… It captures both the astonishing range of Berlin's musical styles and the cleverness of his simple rhymes, which makes it easy to understand why the songwriter remains a national treasure.”
Ray Roderick credits include associate director of A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden (directed by Mike Ockrant), as well as the recent revival of The Music Man. (directed by Susan Stroman) Other directorial credits include The Prince and the Pauper, I Love New York and regional productions of A Christmas Survival Guide, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and Coming to America. With collaborator James Hindman, Roderick has formed Miracle or 2 Productions Inc., which is involved with producing new musicals.
Irving Berlin (music and lyrics) was born Israel Baline and immigrated to New York City in 1893 from Russia. Berlin started his career in a Chinatown café as a singing waiter, and in the decades that followed his humble beginnings penned over 1,000 songs which defined American popular music. Known for such patriotic ballads as “God Bless America,” Berlin was a legendary and ardent supporter of his country, and in addition to his musical contributions to the war effort, was a generous supporter to the Army Emergency Relief, The God Bless America Fund (which he founded himself) and to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. During his career, Irving Berlin wrote the scores to seventeen stage musicals (including the wildly popular and recently revived “Annie Get Your Gun”) and contributed music to six more. Berlin died peacefully in his sleep in 1989 at 101 years old, after being celebrated just one year earlier by a star-studded musical tribute at Carnegie Hall.
Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano is produced by Eva Price of Maximum Entertainment, Off-Broadway Booking, and Lawrence Toppall. For more information, visit www.iloveapianothemusical.com
Jam Theatricals (www.jamtheatricals.com) and SMG proudly present Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano as part of the El Paso Electric Presents Broadway in El Paso at the Historic Plaza Theatre 2008-09 Season, sponsored by KTSM-TV News Channel 9 and El Paso Times.
For information about subscription renewals or becoming a new subscriber of the El Paso Electric Presents Broadway in El Paso at the Historic Plaza Theatre 2008-09 Season please call the Plaza Theatre Subscription Hotline at (915) 231-1111, visit the Plaza Theatre Box Office or visit www.theplazatheatre.org.
Jam Theatricals is a Chicago-based entertainment company that presents and produces Broadway engagements throughout North America. Founded in 1997 by Arny Granat, Jerry Mickelson and Steve Traxler, Jam Theatricals manages subscription seasons in more than 30 cities. Jam has presented notable national touring productions including CATS, The Producers, STOMP, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Miss Saigon and Riverdance. Jam Theatricals and its principals are the recipients of four Tony Awards® for producing August Osage County (Best Play – 2008), The History Boys (Best Play- 2006), Monty Python’s Spamalot (Best Musical- 2005) and Glengarry Glen Ross (Best Revival of a Play- 2005) on Broadway. Additional Broadway credits include the following Tony®-nominated productions: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Retreat from Moscow, The Wedding Singer and Talk Radio starring Liev Schreiber, as well as this season’s Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Seafarer, The Homecoming, November, Sunday in the Park with George, and Thurgood, starring Laurence Fishburne.
