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WONDERFUL TOWN: to Our a Conversation with Comden and Green Readers

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WONDERFUL TOWN: to Our a Conversation with Comden and Green Readers • ri News fo r frien ds of Leonard Bernstein Fall 1994 WONDERFUL TOWN: To Our A Conversation with Comden and Green Readers eo ple talk, sometimes disparag­ Pingly, of the Leo nard Be rnstein "i ndustry" that has arisen since the time of his death. But it is not fo r nothing that Mr. Bernstein 's work co ntinues to thrive. In life, Leonard Bernstein had the ability to excite the world-through his mus ic and through the co mmuni­ cation of his ideas. In Mr. Bernstein's abse nce, his music has lost none of its immediacy. If any­ th ing, his compositions so und a more urgent note, whil e his re­ cordings continue to move and amaze . As for his ideas, what seemed outlandish ten years ago see ms prescient today; educational reform in this co untry is embrac­ ing the ve ry notions of learn ing through the arts that Mr. Bernstein propou nded all along. Adolph Green, Betty Comden and Leonard Bernstein, 1949. Leonard Be rnstein's truly "multi-media" archival materials lend themselves naturally to the n 1953, WONDERFUL day and said, "Do you think you BC: She liked the score and we groundbreaking technologies of TOWN opened at the Win­ would come in and do the lyrics wrote a lot of material for her. digital storage and co mputer access. ter Garden Theatre on for this show?" Adolph was But she got us all together one day As the Library of Co ngress begins Broadway to rave reviews. away - but I contacted him and and said, "Listen, Adolph. Listen, I putting the Bernstein arc hives "on­ Forty-one years later, on the eve of he came back. Mr. Abbott asked Betty. Listen, Leonard. I've got line," they are also blazing the a new production of WONDER­ "Who can yo u work with?" We exactly four notes in my voice and FUL TOWN at the New York said, "Maybe Leonard. " He said, you've got to write for just those digital tra il for other institutions City Opera, prelude, fugue & riffs "Go on over and ask him" and by four notes. " to fo llow su it with their own per­ form ing arts collections. visited the show's lyricists, Betty the time we got to the door, AG: And as for the structure, she Comden and Adolph Green, at Mr. Abbott was on the phone. New productions, new publica­ said, "It should be those four tions, ed ucational brainstorming, Green's record and book-filled AG: Shouting, "Yes or no?" And notes, made up of da-da-da-da­ library overlooking Central Park. digital multimedia ventures-yes, much to our surprise, Leonard joke, da-da-da-da-joke." the workshop is humming, and said yes. pf&r: How did Ruth Sherwood's BC: She said she wanted a those who work with Mr. stories of bohemian life in the BC: We were thrilled. Working number that would express her Bernstein's legacy co unt them­ Greenwich Village of the 1930s with Leonard was heaven. character near the beginning of the selves lucky to be engaged in such come to be a musical? pf&r: Mr. Abbott sounded li ke a show- so ul -enriching labor. • BC: George Abbott got together director in a hurry. How much AG: And she was right. with Jerome Chodoroff and Jo­ time did you have to write the show ? BC: We did not have this song seph Fields to write the book of AG (smiling}: Four and a half weeks. when we opened in New Haven. this show, to be called WONDER­ pf&r: Film star Rosalind Russell Then Rosalind had a bad throat FUL TOWN, and they were fum­ played Ruth in that first production. and was in bed. bling. Mr. Abbott called me one How did she enjoy the transition (continued on page 5) from Hollywood to Broadway? The BETA Fund BETA Fund Supports Music School GAP Campaign Benefits BETA Fund The idea of the Special Music College of Columbia University, School has been spearheaded by which will bring its expertise in in­ the efforts of pianist Vladimir tegrated curriculum development, Feltsman. Mr. Feltsman, who assessment and teacher training. BETA emigrated to the United States The Special Music School of seven years ago from the then America will be unique in its aims, Soviet Union, commented that "in as there is no public school cur­ FUND spite of all the political difficulties, rently operating in the United States the Soviets knew very well how to that offers a combined musical and train students in musical and dance academic instructional program he Bernstein Education ed ucation. " The Special Music designed to address the abilities T Through the Arts (BETA) School of America will emulate and needs of gifted music students Fund is pleased to announce its the model of the great European from elementary school onwards. support of the recently announced music conservatories and will draw As a public school, the Special Special Music School of America. students from around New York Music School will of course ad­ The Special Music School of City, without regard to econom ic, here to New York State require­ bserving that "Leonard America, scheduled to open in the ethnic or social background. ments in all subject areas, while 0 Bernstein wore khakis," The fall of 1995, will be a public Mr. Feltsman will serve as the length of the school day will GAP has made a distinguished ad­ school located in Community Chairman and Artistic Advisor to be increased to provide opportuni­ dition to the cast of notabl es fea­ the School, in collaboration with ties for individualized music in­ School District 3 in the Lincoln tured in its current worldwide ad­ Mrs . Lydia Kontos, Executive Di­ struction. Students will be re­ Center area of Manhattan. The vertising campaign. The fees GAP rector of the Elaine Kaufman Cul­ cruited from the host community School will be designed to identify paid for use of Mr. Bernstein's tural Center, in whose facility, the school district and from other and nurture musically gifted chil­ name and likeness go to The dren of New York City and will Abraham Goodman House, the parts of New York. Bernstein Education Through the Special Music School will be lo­ The Board of Directors and encompass a full academic pro­ Arts (BET A) Fund. cated. Also working with the Advisory Board of the Special Mu­ gram as well as music training The campaign ha s used photo­ within the school day. School will be the Teachers sic School include several people graphs of Miles Davis, Gene Kelly, noted in the arts and education, Marilyn Monroe, Ernest including BETA Fund presi- Hemingway, Arthur Miller, Ava dent, Alexander Bernstein, con­ Gardner, and many other Ameri- ductor Michael Tilson Thomas can writers and performers. • and Amberson Executive Vice President, Harry Kraut. As a world-class music acad­ emy, the Special School of America will nurture the impor­ tant talents of this country's young and musically gifted population. The Bernstein Education Through the Arts (BETA) Fund is pleased to be associated with and support the Special Mus ic School of America.• 2 Children in the string ensemble at the Kaufman Center, site of the future Special Music School of America The Leonard Bernstein Center "Why Nashville?" Nashville Update by Alexander Bernstein all kinds of music, with its sym­ phony orchestra, opera company, "why Nashville?" This is blues and jazz clubs. It is also a a question I am asked magnet for songwriters and per­ as often as "Are you a musician formers of every stripe. Theater, too?" but one that is far more plea­ dance and the visual arts thrive. surable and interesting to respond Educationally, the Metro to, for the answer has many levels. School System is visionary and Teachers at the Summer Session. On an historical level, my fa­ committed to reform. They have ther had been supporting the made The Leonard Bernstein Cen­ he Leonard Bernstein Center As part of a special seminar on Nashvi ll e Institute for the Arts ter a real partner in their long­ T in Nashville, Tennessee, has technology, teachers worked at the years before his death. He was range plans. The teachers I have inaugurated its teacher programs Learning Center of Northern deeply impressed by its work in met and with whom I have with the Summer Session for Telecom to investigate "distance Nashville schools and its investiga­ worked, in collaboration with our teachers, which took place June 20 learning" and the potential uses of tions into the connection between teaching artists, are excited, coura­ through 30, 1994, on the campus the Internet and other branches of art and all learning. When geous and working very hard to of Montgomery Bell Academy the information "superhighway" Schuyler Chapin and I traveled to make their classrooms vibrant in Nashville. in the Bernstein Center's programs Nashvil le in 1991, we saw for our­ places of learning. "Over 200 teachers registered in their schools. selves the seriousness and the scope Geographically, Nashville is at for our first Summer Session, " A highlight of the Summer Ses­ of the work going on there. The the very heart of the country. Per­ said Teacher Center Director Eric sion was the panel discussion on next step, a national center for the sonally, I have found many new Booth. "This exceeded our origi­ school reform and teaching mod­ development and research of pro­ friends in a forward-looking city na l projections, and shows the erated by Ann Holt of Channel 2 grams and the theory of education that can truly represent what is deep interest of teachers in Nash­ News in Nashville, and included through the arts, was a natural.
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