02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 1 Sponsored by Prudential Investment Management Friday Evening, February 6, 2015, at 8:30 m a r g Megan Hilty o r Matt Cusson , Piano P Brian Gallagher , Guitar Dennis Michael Keefe , Bass e Jack DeBoe , Percussion h T This evening’s program is approximately 75 minutes long and will be performed without intermission. Please make certain all your electronic devices are switched off. Major support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by Amy & Joseph Perella. 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 The Appel Room Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall 02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 2 American Songbook Additional support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund, The Shubert Foundation, Jill and Irwin B. Cohen, The G & A Foundation, Inc., Great Performers Circle, Chairman’s Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center. Endowment support is provided by Bank of America. Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts. Artist catering is provided by Zabar’s and zabars.com. MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center. Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center. United Airlines is the Official Airline of Lincoln Center. WABC-TV is the Official Broadcast Partner of Lincoln Center. William Hill Estate Winery is the Official Wine of Lincoln Center. UPCOMING AMERICAN SONGBOOK EVENTS IN THE APPEL ROOM: Saturday Evening, February 7, at 8:30 Danny Rivera & Nelson González: Obsesión Wednesday Evening, February 11, at 8:30 Meshell Ndegeocello: Pour Une Âme Souveraine—A Dedication to Nina Simone Thursday Evening, February 12, at 8:30 San Fermin with Metropolis Ensemble Friday Evening, February 13, at 8:30 Talib Kweli Saturday Evening, February 14, at 8:30 Dawn Landes The Appel Room is located in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. 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. Join the conversation: #LCSongbook 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 . The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not allowed in the building. 02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 3 American Songbook I Meet the Artists s t s i t r A e S E L h C C E t W E R D t N A e e Megan Hilty M Broadway performer and television actress Megan Hilty has had a fast ride to the top. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in theater, she immediately landed the role of Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, later performing the role on tour and in the Los Angeles pro - duction. Her next role was Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5 , for which she was nominated for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Ovation awards in the category of Best Actress in a Musical. Busy making guest appearances on television shows, Ms. Hilty joined the cast of NBC’s Smash in 2011 as Ivy Lynn, an actress desperate to land the lead in a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. In between seasons, Ms. Hilty starred in the New York City Center Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , earning stellar notices. Since then, Ms. Hilty has starred in NBC’s sitcom Sean Saves the World opposite her Smash co- star Sean Hayes. She regularly performs with orchestras across the coun - try, and her solo show, including its sold-out Carnegie Hall debut, has received critical acclaim. Her solo album, It Happens All the Time , is avail - able on Sony. Matt Cusson Matt Cusson (piano) is an award-winning singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist. He studied at the Berklee College of Music and performs all over the world. Mr. Cusson has shared the stage with artists such as Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Megan Hilty, The Roots, Christina Aguilera, and many others. He won the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, receiv - ing the Maxell Song of the Year award, and has been nominated for Billboard and two Los Angeles Music Awards. He placed second in the 2009 International Songwriting Competition. Mr. Cusson has also appeared on television shows such as The View , The Tonight Show with 02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 4 American Songbook I Meet the Artists Jay Leno , the Rachael Ray Show , Live with Kelly and Michael , and The Millionaire Matchmaker . A native of Pittsfield, Massa chussetts, Mr. Cusson released a new single, “Leaving L.A.,” in 2013 and is currently working on his sophomore album, as well as a full-length follow-up to his critically acclaimed Christmas EP, It’s Christmas Time . Brian Gallagher Brian Gallagher (guitar) is an actor, guitarist, and singer-songwriter from New York City. He spent the better part of last year touring with his wife, Megan Hilty, and writing/recording a new solo album called All That’s Ahead . Recent theatrical credits include the Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde and the New York premiere of Chix 6 . Dennis Michael Keefe Dennis Michael Keefe (bass) plays bass for Megan Hilty and other singers and songwriters, including Joe Iconis, Lauren Marcus, and Rob Rokicki. He has also been known to play the saxophone, act onstage, and produce a record every now and then. Jack DeBoe Jack DeBoe (percussion) is a drummer, record producer, and engineer cur - rently residing in Boston. He has performed and/or recorded with artists across different genres, such as Emily King, The Shady Horns, Matt Cusson, Taj Mahal, and Will Champlin, among others. Matt Berman Matt Berman is the resident lighting designer for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook. He continues his design work for Kristin Chenoweth, Liza Minnelli, Kaye Ballard, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga, and Elaine Paige on the road. Through his work with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and several U.S.-based charities, Mr. Berman has designed for a starry roster that includes Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Reba McEntire, Melissa Errico, Deborah Voigt, Michael Urie, Stevie Wonder, India Arie, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, and Sting. His international touring schedule has allowed him to design for iconic venues such as Royal Albert Hall, the Paris Opera, the Olympia Theater in Paris, Royal Carré Theater in Amsterdam, the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo, the Acropolis, the Taormina Amphitheater in Sicily, Luna Park in Buenos Aires, the Sydney Opera House, 02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 5 American Songbook I Meet the Artists and, closer to home, the Hollywood Bowl, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Berman’s television work includes Chenoweth’s recently released special Coming Home , as well as seven Live From Lincoln Center broadcasts and the Tony Award –winning Liza’s at the Palace , which he also designed for Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Bea Arthur on Broadway , Nancy LaMott’s Just in Time for Christmas , and Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony at the Belasco Theater. Scott Stauffer Scott Stauffer has been the sound designer for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook (1999–2015); the Actors Fund concerts of Frank Loesser , Broadway 101 , Hair, and On the Twentieth Century ; and Brian Stokes Mitchell at Carnegie Hall. His Broadway credits include A Free Man of Color , The Rivals , Contact (also in London and Tokyo), Marie Christine , Twelfth Night , and Jekyll & Hyde . Off-Broadway Mr. Stauffer has worked on Hereafter , A Minister’s Wife , Bernarda Alba , Third , Belle Epoque , Big Bill , Elegies , Hello Again , The Spitfire Grill , Pageant , and Hedwig and the Angry Inch . His regional credits include pro - ductions at the Hanger Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Alley Theatre. As a sound engineer, Mr. Stauffer has worked on The Lion King , Juan Darién , Chronicle of a Death Foretold , Carousel , Once on This Island , and Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway). American Songbook In 1998, Lincoln Center launched American Songbook, dedicated to the cele - bration of popular American song. Designed to highlight and affirm the cre - ative mastery of America’s songwriters from their emergence at the turn of the 19th century up through the present, American Songbook spans all styles and genres, from the form’s early roots in Tin Pan Alley and Broadway to the eclecticism of today’s singer-songwriters. American Songbook also show - cases the outstanding interpreters of popular song, including established and emerging concert, cabaret, theater, and songwriter performers. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) serves three primary roles: pre - senter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and com - munity relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. A presenter of more than 3,000 free and ticketed events, performances, tours, and edu - cational activities annually, LCPA offers 15 programs, series, and festivals including American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and the White Light Festival, as well as the Emmy Award–winning 02-06 Hilty_GP2 copy 1/27/15 1:27 PM Page 6 American Songbook Live From Lincoln Center , which airs nationally on PBS.