01-21 Cerveris:GP 1/13/12 11:21 AM Page 1 Saturday Evening, January 21, 2012, at 8:30 and 10:30 Michael Cerveris: An Idea of South Michael Cerveris , Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, and Washboard Shamarr Allen , Horn and Vocals Timothy Andres , Piano Jonathan Batiste , Piano, Vocals, and Harmonaboard Eric Bolivar , Drums Laura Cantrell , Vocals Gabriel Caplan , Guitar and Banjo Debbie Davis , Vocals and Ukelele Jon Graboff , Mandolin and Pedal Steel Kimberly Kaye , Vocals Craig Klein , Trombone and Vocals Alex McMurray , Guitar, Banjo, and Vocals Matt Perrine , Sousaphone and Bass Paul Sanchez , Vocals Lorenzo Wolff , Bass Linzay Young , Fiddle Eddy Zweibeck , Percussion and Harmonica This evening’s program is approximately 75 minutes long and will be performed without intermission. Major support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by Fisher Brothers, In Memory of Richard L. Fisher; and Amy & Joseph Perella. Additional corporate support is provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Wine generously donated by William Hill Estate Winery, Official Wine of Lincoln Center. This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center. Steinway Piano Please make certain your cellular phone, pager, or watch alarm is switched off. The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center 01-21 Cerveris:GP 1/13/12 11:21 AM Page 2 Lincoln Center Additional support for American Songbook is Upcoming American Songbook Events provided by The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward in The Allen Room : Memorial Fund, Logicworks, The Shubert Foundation, Jill and Irwin Cohen, The G & A Wednesday, February 1, at 8:30 Foundation, Inc., Great Performers Circle, Keren Ann Chairman’s Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center. Thursday, February 2, at 8:30 Public support is provided by the New York State Thurston Moore Council on the Arts. Friday, February 3, at 8:30 Artist hospitality is provided by Zabar’s and Hello, Gorgeous! Leslie Kritzer Sings Jule Styne Zabars.com . Saturday, February 4, at 8:30 and 10:30 MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center . Gavin Creel & Stephen Oremus First Republic Bank is the Official Sponsor of the Wednesday, February 8, at 8:30 Fashion Lincoln Center Online Experience. Bill Callahan Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center . Thursday, February 9, at 8:30 tUnE-yArDs United Airlines is the Official Airline of Lincoln Center . Friday, February 10, at 8:30 Sunday, February 12, at 6:30 WABC-TV is the Official Broadcast Partner of Elaine Paige Lincoln Center . Saturday, February 11, at 8:30 and 10:30 William Hill Estate Winery is the Official Wine of Laura Benanti Lincoln Center . The Allen Room is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. For tickets, call (212) 721-6500 or visit AmericanSongbook.org. Call the Lincoln Center Info Request Line at (212) 875-5766 or visit AmericanSongbook.org for complete program information. We would like to remind you that the sound of coughing and rustling paper might distract the performers and your fellow audience members. In consideration of the performing artists and members of the audience, those who must leave before the end of the performance are asked to do so between pieces, not during the performance. The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not allowed in the building. Lincoln Center Programming Department Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Hanako Yamaguchi, Director, Music Programming Jon Nakagawa, Director, Contemporary Programming Lisa Takemoto, Production Manager Bill Bragin, Director, Public Programming Kate Monaghan, Associate Director, Programming Charles Cermele, Producer, Contemporary Programming Jill Sternheimer, Associate Producer, Public Programming Mauricio Lomelin, Associate Producer, Contemporary Programming Ann Crews Melton, House Program Coordinator Regina Grande, Assistant to the Artistic Director Julia Lin, Programming Associate 01-21 Cerveris:GP 1/13/12 11:21 AM Page 3 Lincoln Center Notes on the Program resume. In addition to being a Tony Award –winning Broadway star, he has by Laura Cantrell served as a guitarist with Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü, collaborated with the Scottish I first became acquainted with Michael indie-rockers Teenage Fanclub, and in 2004 Cerveris when I went to opening night of released his own album of charmingly non - The Who’s Tommy on Broadway in 1993. If bombastic rock, Dog Eared (which included some ghost of music future had tapped me the cover of a song from a little old on the shoulder and whispered, “the lead in Brooklyn-based country singer’s first this play, now breathing fire into many a Pete album). He is open to the wide world Townshend lyric, will be your collaborator beyond musical theater and brings his pas - and good musical friend,” I would only have sions and strengths along for the ride, blinked back in disbelief. But sometimes the game to make a joyful noise whatever the fates have it right, and while I have enjoyed setting or context. Michael’s powerful voice and dramatic skill in lead roles in musicals ranging from Hedwig We are especially lucky this evening to get a and the Angry Inch to Sondheim’s Assassins peek into Michael’s musical thought and Sweeney Todd , I have had the even process, a meditation on the “Idea of deeper pleasure of getting to know him in South”—a subject of familiarity to Michael, the less glamorous rehearsal rooms, record - which his Broadway fans may not realize. I ing spaces , and back stages of lower am as excited as the rest of you lucky audi - Manhattan and Brooklyn. ence members to see what Michael’s rumi - nations on the South will yield, and am hon - The music community in New York is ored to be called upon as a player myself. funny: it can seem like different circles of And, frankly, I owe Michael , as I’ve asked musicians —Broadway singers, classical him to turn up at rehearsal rooms and base - and jazz players, nightclub acts, punks and ment clubs and barbeque joints to tackle a new wavers, indie rockers, old -time folkies , Johnny Paycheck song or classic country or the occasional banjo player —might shuffle, even medleys of country hits, which never overlap, each working their genres he always performs with ease and wit and seemingly without a lot of interaction with enthusiasm. I’m sure his “Idea of South” or attention to their colleagues in the will reflect that aptitude for some country rehearsal room across the way. But twang as well as many other Southern Michael’s catholic tastes, wide -ranging ingredients, revealing again the unique interests , and willing ear make him one of openness of his ear and musical experience. the few to move seamlessly from one musical community to the next, and explain —Copyright © 2012 by Lincoln Center for the the many notable “extracurriculars” on his Performing Arts, Inc. 01-21 Cerveris:GP 1/13/12 11:21 AM Page 4 Lincoln Center Meet the Artists Meskada , and Stake Land . His previous films include Brief Interviews with Hideous O Men , The Mexican , Paul Auster’s Lulu on C I N the Bridge , Tokyo Pop , and Rock ’n’ Roll E M High School Forever . Mr. Cerveris can cur - O D rently be seen as the Observer on J.J. O N I Abrams’s television series Fringe and as G Michael Cerveris Mervin Frey on HBO’s Treme . Michael Cerveris was last seen on Broadway in the Lincoln Center Theater production of In addition to concert appearances with the Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or the vibrator New York Philharmonic, New York Pops, and play and will next star with Elena Roger and National and Chicago Symphony Orchestras , Ricky Martin in Michael Grandage’s upcom - Mr. Cerveris toured the U .S. and UK as gui - ing Broadway revival of Evita . He received tarist with punk icon Bob Mould and has per - Tony and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his formed with Pete Townshend, The Breeders, portrayal of John Wilkes Booth in the revival Stone Temple Pilots, Frank Black, Teenage of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins . Fanclub , and Lloyd Cole. Recordings include his indie -rock debut, Dog Eared , for Low Heat Mr. Cerveris made his Broadway debut orig - Records, which is available on iTunes. He is inating the title role in The Who’s Tommy , for currently recording a second solo album with which he earned a Tony nomination and a producer Mark Bingham at Piety Studios in Theatre World Award. He has also appeared New Orleans, tentatively titled Crescent and on Broadway as the title character in the due out this spring. revival of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle , and Drama League nominations; New York Drama Critics ’ Circle special citation) , Hedda Gabler , Cymbeline , LoveMusik (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle , and Drama League nom - inations) , and Titanic: The Musical . Mr. Shamarr Allen Cerveris starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on London’s West End, Off-Broadway, Shamarr Allen (horn and vocals) was born in and in Los Angeles, earning a Garland Award New Orleans and became immersed in and an Ovation Award nomination. music at the age of seven. His father, a sax - ophonist by hobby, was his first music His other Off-Broadway credits include teacher. He later studied with Edward Sondheim’s Road Show , King Lear (Drama “Kidd” Jordan, Herlin Riley, and the late League nomination), Futurity , an oak tree , Clyde Kerr Jr. and Alvin Batiste. He began Wintertime , Fifth of July , Total Eclipse , his professional career as a street musician Abingdon Square , The Games , and The in the French Quarter playing with Tuba Apple Tree . He appeared in Spring Fats, and was also greatly influenced by Awakening for American Songbook and in Yvette Best, Leroy Jones, Joe Torregano, the Emmy Award–winning PBS broadcast Bob French, and Tim Green.