2013
03/18/2013 - The Perlman Music Program Cocktails, Dinner and a Chamber Music Concert in Palm Beach
03/15/2013 - Asia Week New York Kick-off Reception at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,
03/12/2013 - Third Annual Fountain House Associates Spring Breakfast: “Between The Sheets”
03/05/2013 - NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER’S FACES GALA HONORING LEON CHARNEY RAISED $4.5 MILLION
02/23/2013 - "I Have A Voice" fundraiser for Gigi's PLAYHOUSE
02/23/2013 - Eleventh Annual “Thanksgiving in February” Feeds over 500 of New York’s Needy
02/21/2013 - The French Heritage Society's Annual Palm Beach Gala Dinner
02/21/2013 - 24th Annual Gala of Heart & Soul Charitable Fund Auction at Christie’s
02/21/2013 - Eva Longoria Hosts Benefit for “Food Chains” Documentary - Exposes Exploitation in Am’s Farm Labor
02/13/2013 - Verdura hosts a fundraiser for“The Michael Feinstein American Songbook Initiative”
02/13/2013 - Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery, a benefit preview for the Fund for Armenian Relief
02/08/2013 - 56th Annual Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach
02/07/2013 - Lost and Found: The Pinajian Discovery benefit preview for the Fund for Armenian Relief
02/06/2013 - All Star Orchestra’s Preview Screening of their New Classical Music and On-line Education Television
01/29/2013 - Urban Greenwalk
01/23/2013 - The Perlman Music Program Fourth Charity Wine Auction
01/20/2013 - Budapest Festival Orchestra
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
Add your Article

A Musical Salute! Honoring Marvin Hamlisch
11/20/2011 - By New York, NY

A Musical Salute! Honoring Marvin Hamlisch

The Gala honoring Marvin Hamlisch was through the roof and the entire evening was a huge celebration!

Marvin's songs were performed with passion, beauty and joy by Melissa Manchester, Emma Hunton, Brian d’Arcy James, Craig Carnelia, Lucie Arnaz, Kevin Earley, Klea Blackhurst, Karen Ziemba, and Capathia Jenkins. Encompass Emeritus Board member Harriet Slaughter hosted the evening and lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Donald Pippin (original music director/conductor of “A Chorus Line), and Baayork Lee (original dancer, and now choreographer for “A Chorus Line”) offered recollections about Marvin Hamlisch. Encompass dedicated a song entitled “You are my Guiding Star” to Marvin Hamlisch, from our new opera, “The Theory of Everything,” sung by tenor Christopher Preston Thompson, with music by John David Earnest, words by Nancy Rhodes, and played by pianist Mara Waldman. Beth Ertz was the amazing Music D irector/Pianist for the entire evening with John Miller on acoustic and electric bass.

The great surprise of the evening was Marvin Hamlisch's acceptance speech, filled with humble and delightful witty thoughts and theatre stories about the making of "A Chorus Line" and his work as a composer over the years. He encouraged us to always follow our hearts in everything we do; that the most important thing he has learned through all his years of music-making, is that friendships and the joy of working together are the most important aspects of all.

After he received his Award from Encompass New Opera Theatre for Lifetime Achievements in Music, he went to the piano, and with all the performers gathered around him, he played the overture to "A Chorus Line." It was a breathtaking moment in theatre history, because the overture had never been played during the actual performances of "A Chorus Line," so we were lucky enough to hear the composer himself perform it that night, the piano sounding so magnificent, truly it was as if there were an entire orchestra in the room! And, in honor of Encompass’ friend and Gala Chairman, Sheldon Harnick, the great lyricist of "Fiddler on the Roof," Marvin wove the music into a beautiful rendition of "Sunrise, Sunset," and everyone sang along.

Photos: Ben Gabbe Photography


Photo Gallery

Click here for more pictures and a slideshow. You can also click on any of the photos to start slideshow.

Slideshow »



 




Charity Events - CharityHappenings.org - Charity Events, Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved