The New York Festival of Song, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, is offering an evening of rarely presented theatre songs.
The Feb. 19 program, titled "Four on the Aisle," includes excerpts from:
* Tthe zarzuela Pepita Jimenez (1896), by Albeniz
* The turn-of-the-century African-American revue In Dahomey (1903), which produced such vaudeville standards as "I'm a Jonah Man," "I May Be Crazy, But I Ain't No Fool" and "Brown Skin Baby Mine
* Noel Coward's Conversation Piece (1934), which spawned the hit songs "I'll Follow My Secret Heart" and "Regency Rakes"* Kurt Weill's Der Kuhhandel (1934) -- which, like so many early Weill works, is a biting political satire.
Soloists for the evening of theatrical rarities include sopranos Amy Burton and Dana Hanchard, tenor William Burden and bass-baritone Arthur Woodley, accompanied by pianists Michael Barrett and Steven Blier (NYFOS's founders and co-artistic directors).
Spring concerts by NYFOS include a selection of art songs by Schumann, Brahms, Strauss and Mahler on Mar 19; and a 10th Anniversary Gala Concert featuring both classical music and Tin Pan Alley fare on May 14.
For tickets, call (212) 996-1100.
--By Rebecca Paller