The benefit, titled "The Perfect Year, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber," will perform three times only at Cal State University Los Angeles' Luckman Fine Arts Complex. S.T.A.G.E. veteran David Galligan directs with Gerald Sternbach providing musical direction. Proceeds benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Los Angeles Free Clinic.
The evenings will feature songs from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Song & Dance, The Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love.
The songlist includes "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Memory," "Starlight Express," "Only You," "Tell Me on a Sunday," "Unexpected Song: With One Look," "As if We Never Said Goodbye," "Anything But Lonely," "Love Changes Everything," "Any Dream Will Do," "The Coat of Many Colors," "All I Ask of You," "The Music of the Night," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and more.
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) and Frank Loesser (2003).
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." David Galligan, Jonathan Kanes, Richard Loring, Charles Pollock and Harry Prongue produce the 20th Annual S.T.A.G.E. Naomi Caryl and Betty Garrett are co-chairs. Shawn Flannigan continues as event coordinator.
For tickets ($30-$200) to "The Perfect Year, The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber," call (323) 656-9069. For more information, visit the S.T.A.G.E. website at www.stagela.com.
