EVENT ARCHIVES

Jazz pianist Allen Farnham, said: “Few contemporary singers tell stories with the same intensity as Susannah McCorkle.” Before her death in 2001, Susannah was among the most popular cabaret performers in New York. Beginning at The Cookery and Michael’s Pub, she ultimately assumed long associations with the Oak Room and Concord Records. Music Director Allen Farnham has assembled an incredible cast of performers to celebrate Susannah’s extraordinary talent: Danny Bacher, Aisha de Hass, Mark Nadler, Gabrielle Stravelli, and Lucy Wijnands. Sorry, no video available.

"Masters of Our Public Domain." With public domain, no checkbooks necessary. As the 95-year copyright expires every year on some of the greatest songs ever written, this opens up many possibilities for royalty-free performances and recordings. (As of now, this covers most songs written in the mid-1920s and earlier.) We’ll have a brief history of all things Public Domain, from the great American songbook and beyond, illustrating what’s already available now and what will become so in the near future. There'll be live performances by Danny Bacher, Andrew Poretz, and Beth Naji, with accompaniment by long-haired genius Jon Weber, as well as rare footage of legacy artists like Ray Charles and Hoagy Carmichael presented by Will Friedwald. See VIDEO.

When we think about Christmas music, our first thoughts are Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Nat King Cole ("the three C's of Christmas"). Yet for over a dozen years, the great crooner and pop singer Andy Williams hosted one of the most popular variety shows on television and featured a Christmas special every year. This unique APSS program serves two purposes: first, to salute the legendary Andy with classic clips from his classic shows. Second, to feature the song stars of tomorrow - young artists, including several winners of the Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Competition and starring the highly acclaimed young crooner and theater singer (and APSS board member) MARK WILLIAM along with four other young stars (none of them over 20): ANAIS RENO, HANNAH-JANE PETERSON, JULIA PASRAM & MARKIE AGUIRRE.
This will be a joyous celebration of the holiday spirit, which will tie together the old and the new, the past and future of a holiday that is both a spiritual and a musical institution. (The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future will all be present.) Produced by Will Friedwald.

Sheet Music Expert and APSS Board Member Michael Lavine presents a program of songs that were cut from Broadway musicals. To paraphrase the late Stephen Sondheim, sometimes songs leave you… halfway through the wood… Going back over 100 years, songs have been removed from Broadway shows for all kinds of reasons: the children were afraid of heights, the song didn’t work, the star hated the song.
Join Michael as he presents an afternoon of songs cut from shows. To begin, Michael will devote the afternoon to the songs of Stephen Sondheim. You may not know these songs, but you’ll see that often what was removed was wonderful.

This month, the APSS gets the jump on the centennial of a great American artist, the legendary MISS PEGGY LEE. Be there when JAMES GAVIN, the author of the definitive biography IS THAT ALL THERE IS: THE STRANGE LIFE OF PEGGY LEE, speaks with the APSS's Will Friedwald. This promises to be a fun-filled afternoon, packed with vintage anecdotage and classic clips of the great lady in action!

John Forster is a songwriter's songwriter. Songwriter Tom Toce and Sheet Music Expert Michael Lavine will interview John and present a program of songs covering his varied career. He's an award-winning songwriter, humorist and record producer whose work encompasses the worlds of singer-songwriting, musical theater and children's entertainment. As a recording artist John's 1994 debut album Entering Marion (Indie Award HM for Best Comedy Album) was followed by Helium and The Official Bootleg Album. Many of his witty topical songs for NPR's "Morning Edition" were collected in the album Broadsides. His songs have been recorded by Judy Collins, Rosanne Cash, Christine Lavin, and the late Dave Van Ronk, among many others. His song "Entering Marion" is included in Dr. Demento’s 50 Greatest Novelty Songs Of All Time. VIDEO.

April is International Jazz Month and to celebrate, Grammy-nominated percussionist, bandleader, educator and radio host, Bobby Sanabria, brings his Quarteto Aché to the APSS for some powerhouse Latin-inspired jazz. You'll be surprised at how much Afro-Cuban rhythms and Latin composers inspired American standards from Tin Pan Alley days, through the Swing Era and beyond—from Juan Tizol and "Perdido" to Consuelo Velázquez and "Besame Mucho" to Alberto Dominguez and "Frenesi." Get ready to be amazed and tap your toes a lot!

The upcoming 20th Annual Songwriter Showcase, produced by Board Member Sandi Durell, includes a wide range of creative and award winning songwriters in a variety of musical genres. Featured on May 14 are: Larsen Grand recipient Andy Roninson - Billboard charting, NEO Award Winner Billy Reece - Jaime Lozano, Grammy voter & noted by Lin-Manuel Miranda as ‘the next big thing’ - musical storytellers Janey Miles & Bela Konstancja - multi-award winning ASCAP writer Bob Levy & Multi award winner Tracy Stark - Award winning composer/songwriter team of Desperate Measures - Peter Kellogg and David Friedman - versatile standard pop music writer John Primerano.

The beloved Broadway song and dance man  -- who counts “42nd Street” (for which he received a Tony nomination), “The Producers,” and “Hello Dolly!” among his voluminous credits – will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society. This is the Society’s first fundraiser of its kind; consequently Reams will be the first recipient of this honor.
Among the featured performers are: Danny Bacher, Jim Brochu, Charles Busch, Michael Denby Cain, Scott Coulter, Robert Cuccioli, Tony Danza, George Dvorsky, Melissa Errico, Beth Fowler, Penny Fuller, Anita Gillette, Jeff Harnar, Richard Kind, Karen Mason, Andrea McArdle, Sidney Myer, Ron Raines, KT Sullivan, Mark William, Walter Willison, and Karen Ziemba. The music director is Michael Lavine.
The event is co-produced by Sandi Durell and Marilyn Lester.