Billed as "a musical tour through the life, career and mind of a man whose songs are shimmering jewels from the American Songbook," the two performances star BJ Ward with special guest Michael Feinstein. Gordon Hunt directs. Marshall Barer, an author, songwriter and singer, wrote songs and later special material for nightclub performers. In the early 50s he met Yale alumnus Dean Fuller, and they contributed words and music to the revues Once Over Lightly (1955, Zero Mostel, Jack Gilford, Sono Osato), New Faces Of 1956 (Tiger Haynes, Inga Swenson, and future British stage star Maggie Smith) and the 1957 Golden Jubilee edition of The Ziegfeld Follies, starring Beatrice Lillie. Barer and Fuller, with Jay Thompson, were also credited with the book for the 1959 musical Once Upon A Mattress. In 1966 he worked with Mary Rodgers again on The Mad Show. In the same year he formed a lyrical partnership with Fred Tobias for Pousse-Café. Jazz legend Duke Ellington composed the music for this adaptation of Heinrich Mann’s novel, “Professor Unrath," which starred Theodore Bikel. Barer was active until just before his death in 1998, which occurred two years after he received the 1996 ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $100 (includes a special reception at 6:30 PM) and are available by calling (212) 935-5820, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

For more information visit yorktheatre.org.