Topic: BROADWAY
3 JULY 1878 - Birth of George M. Cohan, American playwright, songwriter, producer for Broadway.

Cohan's baptismal certificate, which is his only written birth record, verifies that he was born in Providence, Rhode Island on July 3rd, 1878. However, Cohan's family unfailingly insisted that George and his country shared birthdays on the 4th. Known as "the man who owned Broadway" in the decade before World War I, he is considered the father of American musical comedy.Cohan had his first big Broadway hit in 1904 with the show Little Johnny Jones, which introduced his tunes "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy". Cohan became one of the leading Tin Pan Alley songwriters, publishing upwards of 1500 original songs, noted for their catchy melodies and clever lyrics. His other major hit songs included "You're a Grand Old Flag", "The Warmest Baby In The Bunch", "Life's A Funny Proposition After All", "I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune", and the popular war song, "Over There". More Wiki Bio | ON THE WEB | IMAGES | SHOP George M Cohan

Topic: BROADWAY
Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902, Arverne, Queens, New York City – December 30, 1979, New York City) was an American composer of the music for more than 900 songs and 40 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. His compositions have had a significant impact on popular music down to the present day, and have an enduring broad appeal. Rodgers and Marvin Hamlisch are the only persons to have won an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Tony Award, and Pulitzer Prize.
ON THE WEB | IMAGES | SHOP Richard Rodgers

Composer Charles Strouse
Now Playing: new autobiography
Topic: BROADWAY
Weekend Edition Sunday, June 8, 2008 - Charles Strouse doesn't have to put on a happy face as he enters his ninth decade. All kinds of birthday events are scheduled over the next several months. His autobiography, Put on a Happy Face, will be published in July and his 1960 show, Bye Bye Birdie, from which "Put on a Happy Face" became a breakout hit is still one of the most performed musical in high schools around the country.
On The Web | IMAGES | NPR | SHOP Charles Strouse

Topic: BROADWAY
DECCA CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF West Side Story WITH A NEW RECORDING FEATURING ITALIAN TENOR VITTORIO AND INTERNATIONAL SINGING SENSATION HAYLEY WESTENRA WITH MUSIC COMPOSED BY LEONARD BERNSTEIN BUY IT (August 31, 2007- New York, NY)-- One of the most lauded musicals ever written, West Side Story is still as relevant and well-loved today as it ever was. In this 50th anniversary year of the musical, Decca has assembled some of the biggest classical crossover stars to record a brand new version of the musical. The new recording will be in stores on September 25th and features the angelic soprano Hayley Westenra as Maria and Italian tenor, Vittorio as Tony with music by Leonard Bernstein. This new interpretation of West Side Story is one of the only major recordings of this masterpiece to have been made since the 1984 version with Mr. Bernstein himself conducting. This updated project was also authorized by the Bernstein foundation in New York. With a bright young cast and timeless tunes, this is set to become the recording of choice for the 21st Century West Side Story lover. Hayley Westenra and Vittorio have nothing short of great chemistry and their passionate singing brings the characters to life. This modern take promises to reinvigorate the classic and bring it to a whole new audience.

Topic: BROADWAY
Wednesday [26 SEP 2007] marks the 50th anniversary of the first staging of the Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents musical West Side Story. It's been performed globally and translated into languages as diverse as Czech and Korean.

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Topic: BROADWAY

What's comming from 'The Great White Way' these days?

This area of Manhattan is often called the Theater District or the Great White Way, a nickname originating in the headline "Found on the Great White Way" in the February 3, 1902 edition of the New York Evening Telegram. The journalistic sobriquet was inspired by the millions of lights on theater marquees and billboard advertisements that illuminate the area. Broadway, as the name implies, is a wide avenue in New York City. While New York has several other Broadways, in the context of the city it frequently refers to the Manhattan avenue which also runs into the Bronx and Westchester County. It is the oldest north-south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to the first New Amsterdam settlement. The name Broadway is an English translation of the Dutch name, Breede weg. Broadway is famous as the pinnacle of the American theater industry.