The American Songbook has some of the most important and influential songs in American pop and jazz history. It includes many important songs from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Last year the Colorado Mesa University department of Theatre Arts started part one of their three-year American Songbook series with Polar Opposites which featured music from both Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. This year they did part two with Fascinating Rhythm: Jazz and the Broadway Musical.
Directed by Jeremy Franklin and Doug Morrow, the performance was held on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mesa Experimental Theatre inside the Moss Performing Arts Center. Tickets were sold for six dollars for students, eight dollars for seniors and 10 dollars for adults.
Charlie Dwellington’s sponsored the show, paying for the music and the band. All the proceeds from ticket sales will go into scholarships for Theatre students.
Auditions started about a month and a half ago. Students came and audition and from there the songs were selected and then rehearsing began. One full rehearsal with everyone in production took place Thursday before the show and then opening night on Friday.
“There’s about 18 total songs anywhere between two and five minutes [in length],” Douglas Morrow said. “It’s probably about a little over an hour, maybe 90 minutes [overall] with applause and talking and stuff, no intermission.”
Songs included were by George and Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. The band included Douglas Morrow on piano, Karen Caton on drums and Lucas Bingham on bass. “It’s piano, bass and drums along with a singer,” Morrow said.
Performances were by Mesa OutLoud!, which is an outreach program CMU has, Anna Dworkin, Joe Castinado, Tilly Leeder, Alexis Bonsante, Lauren Valdez and many more. Even Jeremy Franklin preformed a song.
Part two of the American Songbook will explore a cross of popular music and musical comedy stage.
“Jeremy will be giving stories and fun stuff in between and talking about the songs and a little history about them,” Morrow said.
The next performance in the bravo cabaret series will be at Charlie Dwellington’s which can only hold around 100 people, so get your tickets now.
Part three of the American Songbook will hopefully come some time next fall, although there is nothing official yet. “We just have to figure out which composers we want to do,” Morrow said. “We’ve been talking about it, we haven’t solidified it yet though.”
