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November
- December 2002
ASCAP
ACTION
The Gang's
All Hair...
ASCAP Celebrates Hairspray,
Film/TV Composer Marc Shaiman's Smash Broadway
Debut
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In August, ASCAP welcomed film and television
composer Marc Shaiman (When Harry Met
Sally, The Addams Family, South Park)
to New York City for the Broadway debut
of Shaiman's first work for musical theatre,
Hairspray, based on John Waters'
cult film of the same name. ASCAP invited
many of the leading Broadway composers and
lyricists to see the show at the Neil Simon
Theatre. After the performance, everyone
attended a special reception to celebrate
the show's opening. In the few months since
its debut, the show has become the hottest
ticket on Broadway.
(l-r) Marc Shaiman, Hairspray
star Harvey Fierstein and Scott Wittman.
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Broadway's Best
In honor of Hairspray, ASCAP gathered
together many of Broadway's leading composers
and lyricists for a rare photo. Pictured
(back row, l-r) are ASCAP's Todd Brabec,
Mark Hollman (Urinetown), Henry
Krieger (Dreamgirls), Craig Carnelia
(Sweet Smell of Success), Tom Jones
(The Fantasticks), Richard Maltby
(Baby), Richard Adler (Damn
Yankees), Stephen Schwartz (Pippin),
Scott Wittman (Hairspray), ASCAP
CEO John LoFrumento, Blue Focus Management's
Richard Kraft and Vasili Vangelos and ASCAP's
Michael A. Kerker. Pictured (front row,
l-r) are ASCAP's Nancy Knutsen, Charles
Strouse (Annie), Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime),
Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie),
Marc Shaiman, Carol Hall (Best Little
Whorehouse), Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime)
and Greg Kotis (Urinetown).
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(l-r) Marc Shaiman,
Hairspray co-lyricist Scott Wittman
and ASCAP's Nancy Knutsen and Michael A. Kerker. |
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(l-r) Carol Hall
(Best Little Whorehouse), Lynn Ahrens
(Ragtime) and Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly
Modern Millie). |
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(l-r) ASCAP's John LoFrumento
and Marc Shaiman. |
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(l-r) Tom Jones (lyricist,
The Fantasticks) and Todd Brabec. |
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Photo by Howard Pasamanick
The Writer, The Singer, The
Song
The Blue Ribbon of the Los Angeles Music Center
and the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented the spectacular
musical tribute "The Writer, The Singer, The Song"
in October at the Directors Guild Theater in Los
Angeles. The event was sponsored by Gibson Guitar,
Baldwin Pianos and EMI Music. Seven of the greatest
names in songwriting including ASCAP Board members
Hal David and Paul Williams, Charles Fox, David
Gates, Albert Hammond, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
spun their magic. They performed their own songs
and told the stories behind them, each introducing
renowned singers who entertained the packed audience.
The cast picture features (l-r) singer Chuck Negron,
Williams, Mann, Weill, vocalist Sally Kellerman,
music director Chris Caswell, Event Chairman Eunice
David, Hal David, singer Leo Sayer, Hammond, vocalist
Patti Austin, Gates, singers Jackie DeShannon and
James Ingram, and Fox. |
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The
Wordshop
ASCAP recently launched "The Wordshop," a series
of seminars focusing on the art and craft of lyric
writing in popular music at the Skirball Cultural
Center in Los Angeles. The inaugural session featured
a conversation with Academy Award and Grammy-winning
lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. ASCAP's Randy
Grimmett conducted the two-hour interview on their
long and successful collaborative process which
culminated with Alan's performance of two of their
notable works. "The Wordshop" series, supported
in part by The ASCAP Foundation, is produced by
ASCAP's Brendan Okrent. According to Okrent, future
Wordshop sessions will continue to explore the diversity
of lyrical structure, craft and interpretation in
the many different genres of popular music. Pictured
(l-r) are Marilyn and Alan Bergman in conversation
with Grimmett and also with the Cane Foundation's
Beth and Wofford Denius, who have given an endowment
to the ASCAP Foundation archive to help preserve
a video library for ASCAP. |
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One On
One With Cy and Mike
ASCAP and the New York Chapter of the Recording
Academy teamed up recently to present "One on One
with Cy Coleman,” an interview with legendary
Broadway composer and ASCAP Board member Coleman
with special guest noted record producer Mike Berniker.
"CBS Sunday Morning" anchor (and ASCAP member) Charles
Osgood conducted the interview at the New York offices
of Sony Music. Berniker is the producer of Coleman's
new Sony album, It Started with a Dream.
Pictured (l -r): ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento, Osgood,
Coleman and Berniker. |
Portraits in Jazz
Composer and ASCAP Board member Cy Coleman and lyricists
Alan Bergman and ASCAP President Marilyn Bergman
enlisted some of the finest vocalists from the worlds
of jazz, pop and R&B for the world premiere
performance of Portraits in Jazz, a new work commissioned
by Washington, DC's John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. Following the premiere at the Kennedy
Center, creators and cast celebrated together. Pictured
(l-r) are Carl Anderson, Cy Coleman, Marilyn Bergman,
Patti Austin, Alan Bergman, Lillias White, Steve
Tyrell and Janis Siegel. |
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Magic 8Ball
Pictured backstage at the 8Ball concert are (left
photo) ASCAP writer Racket City's RC Pre, ASCAP's
Ian Burke and writer Racket City's RC Jar. Pictured
(right photo) are Burke, producer Big Du, ASCAP
songwriter/producer Cory "Black" Woodard, Interscope
recording artist 8Ball and ASCAP writer/producer
Chad "Nitti" Moore. |
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VH-1 Save
the Music Benefit
On November 20, the VH-1 Save the Music Foundation
held a special benefit at New York City's Bottom
Line. Conceived by EMI's Evan Lamberg, the event,
entitled Songwriters in the Round: Generations Volume
One, featured performances by new ASCAP member and
matchbox twenty's Rob Thomas, ASCAP Board member
Jimmy Jam, Jewel and The Neptunes as well as a Q&A
session moderated by lyricist Bernie Taupin. Proceeds
from the event went to VH-1 Save the Music Foundation's
program to donate musical instruments to public
schools across the nation. ASCAP's Karen Sherry
and Todd Brabec attended the event to support the
program and to congratulate Thomas for matchbox
twenty's new album, More Than You Think You
Are (Atlantic), which was released the day
before the benefit. Pictured below at the Bottom
Line (l-r) are Sherry, Thomas, Jam and Brabec. |
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Playback
: November - December 2002
ASCAP
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