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Home , Elaine Stritch, Janis Ian

American Songbook By Barry Singer Kevin Yatarola Kevin American Songbook in The Appel Room last season

eturning for its 17th season, Lincoln The Appel Room performances open on RCenter’s American Songbook continues January 20 with the ravishing Vanessa to redefine American song by embracing Williams. Broadway star and versatile an ever-widening range of songwriters, music artist, Ms. Williams has always contemporary styles, and musical navigated a standard knowingly, while traditions. Featuring 25 events, the 2016 also knowing her way around the R&B series opens with concerts by celebrated landscape of more recent American pop artists in the dazzling Appel Room in music. She gave a triumphant performance January and February and moves to the last season in the Philharmonic’s intimate Kaplan Penthouse to showcase concert production of , which rising stars in March and April. For the aired on PBS in October. third season, thanks to underwriting from Prudential Investment Management, the Tribute concerts are always special series will host an online competition to occasions, and few tribute subjects are choose artists to be presented in free cooler than Peggy Lee, the quintessence concerts at the David Rubenstein Atrium. of classic songbook chic, as a singer and

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songwriter. Hosted by her biographer, If the apoplectic comedian Lewis Black were James Gavin, and featuring vocalists Jane a rock ‘n’ roll band, singer-songwriter Craig Monheit, Nellie McKay, and other special Finn could be his frontman. In Finn’s own guests, “Is That All There Is? Remembering groups, The Hold Steady and Lifter Puller, Peggy Lee,” on January 21, promises to and now as a solo, he has channeled and be as sultry and as savvy as Ms. Lee was transmuted Lew Black–like outrage into herself. always compelling and often electrifying music. Finn brings his rants and rave-ups to Loudon Wainwright III comes to The Appel The Appel Room on February 3. Room on January 22. Husband to the late, inspired folk singer, Kate McGarrigle, Multitalented Todd Almond scored a and father to the singer-songwriters double knockout last year with his musical Rufus, Martha, and Lucy Wainwright, adaptation of The Odyssey for the Public he is a veteran singer-songwriter in the Theater’s Public Works series at the self-effacing (often self-mocking) strain Delacorte Theater and his demi-rock of America’s best folk-music tradition and opera Kansas City Choir Boy, at HERE a highly literate, wryly whimsical teller of Arts Center. For his February 4 Songbook tales. evening, Almond is joined by special guest Courtney Love, his co-star in Kansas City What would the American Songbook Choir Boy. series be without a living legend or two? First up in 2016 will be the divine Rita Since her explosive breakout as a Moreno on January 23. West Side Story’s teenage singer-songwriter in the Oscar-winning Anita for all time, a Tony 1960s and ‘70s with her generation Award winner for The Ritz, an Emmy, and a defining hits, “Society’s Child” and “At Grammy Award winner too, at 84 years old Seventeen,” Janis Ian has continued to she remains a wonder. She was a member forge a distinctive path in her musical of the 2015 “class” of artists selected for and personal life. The Grammy Award– the . winning, iconic folk artist, whose songs have been covered by ,

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12.15 Feature 2 Songbook#.indd 12 11/4/15 11:18 AM Courtesy Bernett Management Loudon Wainwright III , , and many others, “There’s a brave new world that’s raging raises her own voice on February 5. inside me,” sings Laura Jane Grace in a track from her 2014 album, Transgender Real-life entertainment-biz power couple Dysphoria Blues. The lead singer- Jerry Dixon and Mario Cantone bring their songwriter-guitarist for Against Me!, the duo act to American Songbook on February punk rock band that she founded over 15 6. The actor, singer, songwriter, and years ago, makes her American Songbook director and actor-comedian, respectively, debut on February 19 in an all-acoustic, perform together in an evening of music solo appearance, channeling the Sex Pistols and mayhem that extends and enriches by way of Cole Porter, while exploring her their previous stage collaboration, transgender experience. Cantone’s Tony-nominated one-man show Laugh Whore, which Dixon directed. Broadway still has some very hot couples. Andy Karl and Orfeh are certainly among Foreigner is one of the most successful them, best known for their chemistry in rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time. The Broadway the musical Legally Blonde, which brought hit musical Rock of Ages rode to glory Orfeh a Tony nomination. Karl received recently, in part, on Foreigner’s hits back his own Tony nominations for his work in catalogue. On February 17, Foreigner Rocky and last season’s revival of On the founder Mick Jones brings his latest version Twentieth Century. The pair will hit The of the band to The Appel Room for an all Appel Room stage together on February acoustic, unplugged set. 20. Sparks are assured.

Based on a Horton Foote play, A Coffin in Rhiannon Giddens may be the most Egypt is a one-act chamber opera written important female singer in America right by the prolific composer Ricky Ian now. Her singing (and her playing on Gordon for the acclaimed mezzo-soprano multiple instruments) with the band that Frederica von Stade. On February 18, she co-founded and still leads, The Carolina “Flicka” brings Gordon’s luminously- Chocolate Drops, has revived a tradition melodic creation to The Appel Room for of long-obscured African-American folk an intimate in-concert encore. music going back two centuries. Her 14

12.15 Feature 2 Songbook#.indd 14 11/4/15 11:18 AM Humberto Howard Austin Hargrave Austin Michael Weintrob David Rodgers David Lloyd Baggs Lloyd Peter Lau Peter Clockwise from upper left: La Santa Cecilia, , Charles Busch, Jerry Dixon and Mario Cantone, Janis Ian, Rhiannon Giddens 15

12.15 Feature 2 Songbook#.indd 15 11/4/15 11:18 AM Foreigner extraordinary voice is classically trained. residency on February 27, convening many Her ideas about American music are her of the singers and musicians who created own. On February 24, in an all-new show, her celebrated recent studio album The with cellist-vocalist Leyla McCalla and folk Mosaic Project: Love and Soul, an all-star, musician Bhi Bhiman, Giddens will explore all-female jazz tribute to R&B and soul. America’s molten heritage of protest music. Look for Valerie Simpson and Oleta Adams to ignite the vocal fireworks. Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia (named for the patron saint of music) synthesizes cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, rock, klezmer, and just about anything else that strikes its all-American fancy. Barry Singer currently writes about the arts, Grammy winners in 2014 for Best Latin literature, and Winston Churchill for the Rock Album, La Santa Cecilia comes to American Songbook on February 25. Huffington Post. American Songbook is a presentation of Actor, playwright, screenwriter (Vampire for the Performing Arts. of Sodom, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife), and drag legend, Charles American Songbook lead support Busch debuts a brand new show created is provided by Prudential Investment especially for American Songbook on Management. February 26. In “The Lady at the Mic,” joined by longtime musical director Tom Major support for American Songbook is Judson, Busch pays tribute through provided by Amy & Joseph Perella. song and personal reminiscence to five For information, call CenterCharge, extraordinary and much-missed women: 212.721.6500 or visit Elaine Stritch, Polly Bergen, Mary Cleere AmericanSongbook.org Haran, Julie Wilson, and .

Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington closes out American Songbook’s 2016 Appel Room 16

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