The works of both Marvin Hamlisch and Harry Warren (1893-1981) will be celebrated during the weekend of concerts at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the Campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. David Galligan will direct Two on the Aisle with musical direction by Gerald Sternbach. Performers will be announced shortly.
Marvin Hamlisch is the Tony-winning composer of A Chorus Line. His other Broadway credits include They're Playing Our Song, Smile, The Goodbye Girl, Sweet Smell of Success Imaginary Friends. He also penned such songs as "The Way We Were" and "Nobody Does It Better" as well as the film scores for "Sophie's Choice," "Ordinary People," "Three Men and a Baby" and "Ice Castles."
Harry Warren's songs have been heard on Broadway in 42nd Street, Swing!, Fosse, Dream, Big Deal, Dancin', Shangri-La, Swingin' the Dream, Chamberlain Brown's Scrap Book and The Laugh Parade. Among his most popular titles were "Lullaby of Broadway," "That's Amore," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Jeepers Creepers."
The most recent S.T.A.G.E. benefit concert was presented Nov. 6, 2004, at Cal State University Los Angeles' Luckman Fine Arts Complex. That evening was devoted to the work of Cy Coleman, who passed away just weeks after the star-filled performance.
The first S.T.A.G.E. benefit took place in October 1984, honoring the music of Leonard Bernstein. Subsequent presentations have paid tribute to Stephen Sondheim (1985, 1987, 1996), Jule Styne (1988), Jerry Herman (1989), John Kander and Fred Ebb (1990), Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein (1991), Irving Berlin (1992), George and Ira Gershwin (1993), Harold Arlen (1995), Cole Porter (1997), Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe and Burton Lane (1998), Richard Adler, Jerry Bock and Cy Coleman (1999), Charles Strouse, Arthur Schwartz and Stephen Schwartz (2000), Jerome Kern (2001), Johnny Mercer (2002), Frank Loesser (2003), Andrew Lloyd Webber (2004). Ten of the benefits have been recorded and are available on CD through the stagela.com website. They include Stephen Sondheim: A Musical Celebration; Jerry Herman: Tap Your Troubles Away; George Gershwin: A Musical Celebration; Harold Arlen: Over the Rainbow; Cole Porter: A Musical Toast; (Alan Jay) Lerner (Frederick) Loewe, (Burton) Lane & Friends; ABC (Richard Adler, Jerry Bock, Cy Coleman); Jerome Kern: Life on the Wicked S.T.A.G.E.; Kurt Weill: The Centennial; and Johnny Mercer: Dream.
The March 2005 concerts will benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles and GLASS. The former is the largest AIDS service organization in California and provides support services to all those living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County. GLASS offers residential treatment and case management for Los Angeles County's youth.
For ticket information, call (323) 656-9069 or visit www.stagela.com.
