Lecture Series – The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great? Broadway in the 1960s: Classic Musicals Among Social Upheaval

@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90aXRsZSIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7ImJlZm9yZSI6IiIsImFmdGVyIjoiIn19@ *Buy a subscription with tickets to all four lectures, or add Tyler Driskill’s Hooray for Hollywood concert for all 5 events, and get 10% off the total cost of individual tickets for each event! Brent Wagner, Host Tyler Driskill, Pianist with singers from the University of Michigan Musical Department Kerrytown Concert House is delighted to welcome back its popular lecture series, The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great?, now in its third season. Host Brent Wagner, University of Michigan Emeritus Professor of Musical Theatre, leads the exploration, while pianist Tyler Driskill, U-M Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre, brings the music to life at the Steinway — joined by guest singers from the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department. About the Series Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington — these extraordinary songwriters produced so many enduring standards in the early twentieth century that their combined body of work has come to be known as “The Great American Songbook.” Recorded countless times by pop singers, jazz artists, dance bands, and even opera singers, these songs continue to be discovered and rediscovered by new generations of performers, who find fresh depth and artistry in these mini-masterpieces. But why have these songs lasted so long? What exactly makes them “great”? Brent Wagner explores the repertoire, illuminating and demonstrating the qualities that have given these songs their enduring, rewarding legacy. About Broadway in the 1960s: Civil Rights. Vietnam. John F. Kennedy. Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy. The Cuban Missile Crisis. The March on Washington. Haight Ashbury. In such a tumultuous decade, musicals had two choices: 1) Help audiences escape the headlines with the best talent of the time: Hello, Dolly, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Funny Girl, Mame, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweet Charity, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Oliver, and many others, OR 2) Address social issues of the 1960’s from the perspective of a different era: Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La Mancha, Golden Boy (with Sammy Davis, Jr.), 1776, and of course Cabaret, in which director Hal Prince viewed Berlin of the 1930’s as a dark parallel to 1960’s America. And sophisticated, well-heeled Broadway theatre-goers were both enticed and somewhat baffled by the most provocative, 60’s-conscious musical on Broadway, Hair, which was a ‘happening,’ as its subtitle proclaimed: “The America Tribal, Love-Rock Musical.” The songs from these shows became standards, even amidst the flourishing of the rock era: “The Impossible Dream,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “People,” “Cabaret,” “Hello, Dolly,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Aquarius.” The decade was a fascinating, thrilling era in the musical theatre, providing a fitting climax to the “Golden Age” that Oklahoma had initiated 25 years earlier. You shared and we listened! Tickets for this series sell fast and are very popular, but now, you can get your tickets early AND pick your seats in advance! This year’s lecture series tickets will no longer be general admission, but reserved ticket seating. In-Person Ticket Pricing: Tier 1: $35 (*Student/Youth $25) Tier 2: $30 (*Student/Youth $20) Tier 3: $25 (*Student/Youth $15) Livestream Ticket Pricing: Livestream Access Ticket: $15 Events in the 2026-27 Great American Songbook: What Makes It Great? Series Lecture – Gershwin Edition: Friday, November 6th, 2026 at 7:30 PM Lecture – Broadway and Hollywood in the 1930s: Sunday, November 8th, 2026, at 4:00 pm Lecture – Broadway in the 1940s & 50s: A Golden Age of Lasting Impact: Friday, February 26th, 2027 at 7:30 PM Lecture – Broadway in the 1960s: Classic Musicals Among Social Upheaval: Sunday, February 28th, 2027 at 4:00 pm Companion Concert – Hooray for Hollywood! with Tyler Driskill & Friends: Tuesday, March 2nd, 2027 at 7:30 PM Artists: