Jule Styne Remembered on CUNY-TV Dec. 17

By Andrew Gans
December 17, 2005

"Theater Talk," the PBS chat show that features interviews with top theatre practitioners, will offer a special program saluting the late Broadway composer Jule Styne.

Entitled "Remembering Jule Styne: A Tribute to the Great Broadway Composer in His Centennial Year," the 30-minute broadcast will feature interviews with playwright and director Arthur Laurents, librettist Susan Birkenhead, composer Charles Strouse, lyricist Betty Comden and her late writing partner Adolph Green. The Styne tribute will air on CUNY-TV Dec. 17 at 1:30 PM ET, Dec. 18 at 12:30 PM and Dec. 19 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM.

The program — first aired on PBS in 1998 — will then air on WNET/Thirteen Dec. 30 at 12:30 AM, the eve of what would have been Styne's 100th birthday.

The late Jule Styne's Broadway composing credits include High Button Shoes, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Girl, Bells Are Ringing, Peter Pan and Gypsy. Among his catalog of tunes are such ditties as "Time After Time," "All I Need Is the Girl," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," "It's Magic," "People," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!," "Never Never Land," "Small World," "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Just in Time."

Hosted by New York Post theatre columnist Michael Riedel and producer Susan Haskins, "Theater Talk" airs on WNET/Thirteen. The program can also be seen on CUNY-TV (Channel 75).

For more information, visit www.theatertalk.org.