Ebersole, Blackhurst, Bennett and Thalken Perform Swift and Gershwin May 15

By Andrew Gans
May 15, 2008

George Gershwin and Kay Swift: An Evening of Song and Television is the title of the May 15 program at the Paley Center in Manhattan.

The 6 PM evening boasts the talents of Christine Ebersole, Klea Blackhurst, Jimmy Ray Bennett and pianist Joseph Thalken. Aaron Gandy will also provide commentary — interspersed with rare radio and television clips — on how the lives of songwriters Swift and Gershwin intersected in the twenties and thirties. Expect radio, television and film performances by George Gershwin, Kay Swift, Fred Astaire, Leslie Uggams, Nancy Reed, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Ella Fitzgerald, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland and Willard White.

The repertoire for the performance follows:

"Whistling in the Dark" (Kay Swift - Paul James)
Cut from The Little Show (1929)
Jimmy Ray Bennett

"Up Among the Chimney Pots" (Kay Swift - Paul James)
From Nine-Fifteen Revue (1930)
Klea Blackhurst

"Fine and Dandy" (Kay Swift - Paul James)
From Fine and Dandy (1930)
Klea Blackhurst and Jimmy Ray Bennett

"Can This Be Love?" (Kay Swift - Paul James)
From Fine and Dandy (1930)
Christine Ebersole

"Nobody Breaks My Heart" (Kay Swift - Paul James) From Fine and Dandy (1930)
Klea Blackhurst

"Liza" (George Gershwin)
From "George Gershwin's Song Book: Piano Transcriptions of 18 Songs" (1932)
["Liza" was first performed in Show Girl (1929), with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn]
Joseph Thalken

"Sawing a Woman in Half" (Kay Swift - Al Stillman)
Written for the Radio City Music Hall stage show (1935)
Jimmy Ray Bennett

"There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" (George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin)
From Porgy and Bess (1935)
Christine Ebersole

Rebecca Paller is the program's curator.

The Paley Center is located in Manhattan at 25 West 52nd Street, Tickets, priced $30, are available by calling (212) 621-6600. For more information visit www.paleycenter.org.

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A studio recording of Swift's musical Fine and Dandy was released by PS Classics.