BALLROOM Book by Jerome Kass, Music by Billy Goldenberg, Lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman January 29 – February 16, 2020 Directed by Ron Celona Musical Direction by Scott Storr Choreography by Jose de la Cuesta
A new, re-imagined revival of the 1978 Broadway musical BALLROOM will debut at CVRep. BALLROOM is based on the 1975 CBS television movie Queen Of The Stardust Ballroom
which starred Maureen Stapleton and was made into a Broadway production
developed by Tony Award –winning director Michael Bennett (co-creator
of A Chorus Line.) This moving story is about aging widow Bea
Asher who, having lost her beloved Morrie, begins life anew at the
Stardust Ballroom, an old school Brooklyn dance palace.
Under the guidance of the authors and Concord Theatricals, the licensor and publisher of BALLROOM,
CVRep’s revised, twenty-four-character version will include all the
musical numbers from the original Broadway production, restore several
songs originally written for the show, and three brand new songs by Alan
and Marilyn Bergman and Billy Goldenberg.
*WINNER of the 1979 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Choreography *NOMINEE – 1979 11 Tony Awards (All major categories), 7 Drama Desk Awards
Throughout his seven-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more
than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three
double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry
Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to
appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still
influences many of today’s music superstars. The Oscar winner also
appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.
Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman features songs by the
esteemed, Academy Award winning songwriting duo, including the title
track from Sinatra’s 1960 Grammy-nominated album, “Nice ‘N’ Easy.” “As
lyric writers,” says Alan Bergman in liner notes, “to have a singer
understand and be able to communicate what you wrote, whether it be
about love or love lost or songs that needed a humorous approach, Frank
got it… his readings were always on the money and more than what we
heard in our minds.”
November 6, 2019 – Alan performs with Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. Click here for tickets.
November 4, 2018 – Alan performed, along with many others, at a Jazz Foundation of America Fundraiser honoring Johnny Mathis at Vibrato. F
October 21, 2018 –Alan Bergman along with special guest Tierney Sutton accompanied by Bill Cantos on piano and Trey Henry on bass will perform at Catalina Bar and Grillin Hollywood.
September 28, 2018 – Alan and Tierney Sutton accompanied by Christian Jacob and Trevor Ware will perform at Vitellos in Studio City.
July 12, 2018 – Alan and Marilyn Bergman along with Dave Grusin nominated for an Emmy for “Just Getting Started” from the HBO movie “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast”. http://www.emmys.com/shows/if-youre-not-obit-eat-breakfast
March 15, 2018 –Alan Bergman accompanied by Bill Cantos on piano performed at Catalina Bar and Grill with guest appearance by Tierney Sutton.
February 17, 2018 – 18th Annual Newport Beach Jazz Party and Big Band Blowout – Alan performed with Bill Cantos and Chuck Berghofer.
February 7, 2018 – ASCAP President and current Chairman of the Board Paul Williams presented the inaugural ASCAP President’s Award to former ASCAP President Marilyn Bergman for her contributions to ASCAP and for elevating the rights of music creators worldwide, over more than three decades of transformative leadership.
Williams commented: “Marilyn Bergman shaped the legacy of ASCAP with her passionate commitment to championing our music makers and laying the groundwork for the next generation of creatives. She presided over our organization during a time of incredible growth, and reacted to changes in the music landscape with political savvy and acumen. It is an honor to award her with ASCAP’s very first President’s Award.”
Bergman was honored with a performance of “Make Me Rainbows” by Sheléa, accompanied by Katisse Buckingham (saxophone). “Make Me Rainbows” was written by Bergman, her husband Alan Bergman and iconic composer John Williams, and is featured on Sheléa’s forthcoming album tribute to the Bergmans, Pretty World.
September 2017 – Alan Bergman performs their original song “Just Getting Started” with music by Dave Grusin at the end of the Carl Reiner documentary film “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast” for more information click here.
November 7, 2017 – December 17, 2017 – Chasing Mem’ries: A Different Kind of Musical – In this world premiere with songs written by legendary lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Tyne Daly stars as a woman not quite ready to let go of the life she’s loved and the love of her life.
November 7, 2015 – the Los Angeles Jazz Society honors Alan and Marilyn Bergman with their 2015 Jazz Tribute Award. For tickets and more information click here.
October 12, 2015 – Lyrically, The Songs of Alan and Marilyn Bergman – Alan performed with Mike Renzi on piano and David Finck on bass at Birdland in New York.
May 18, 2015 – LaGuardia Arts 30th Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala“Lyrics and Legacy” celebrates Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
February 15, 2015 – Alan performed with Tamir Hendelman and The Johnny Mandel Big Band at the Newport Beach Jazz Party
August 16, 2014 – Alan performed (along with other guests) at the Pasadena Pops with Michael Feinstein.
May 17, 2014 – Alan Bergman performed at The Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. With special GuestTierney Sutton
December 13, 2013 – An Evening with Alan and Marilyn Bergman at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center
July 28, 2013 –Alan performed at The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
June 29, 2013 – The Johnny Mercer Award was presented to Alan and Marilyn at Northwestern University in Chicago.
June 12, 2013 – Alan and Marilyn were presented with the Women in Film Crystal Award in Beverly Hills.
February 10, 2013 – Alan performed with Ann Hampton Callaway at Disney Hall
January 27, 2013 – New West Symphony honored Alan and Marilyn with a Visions of America gala celebration.
November 14, 2012 Alan perfomed at Vibrato. Click here for a review of the evening.
June 21 & 22, 2012 – Alan and Marilyn appear on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, sharing their stories of their 50 plus years together. (Repeated August 1 & 2, 2012) This is a two part series – Click here to view
May 15 & 16, 2012 – Alan performs with Ann Hampton Callaway and the Boston Pops. (Click here for more info)
May & June 2012 – Visions of America performed with the Boston Pops, featuring five songs written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman and Roger Kellaway For more details about the project, click here
February 19, 2011 – Alan Bergman to performed at The West Coast Jazz Festival in Newport Beach, CA .
May 19, 2010 – Boston Pops Orchestra premieres Bergman song “We The People” with Patti Austin.
Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops will be joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and special guests—actors Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris and actress Cherry Jones—for the world premiere performance of The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers—the centerpiece of the Boston Pops’ 125th anniversary season celebration—on May 18, at 8 p.m. (repeated on May 19), at Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. The May 18th and 19th programs will also feature Arlo Guthrie singing “This Land is Your Land” and Brian Stokes Mitchell singing a new arrangement of one of his signature songs, “The Impossible Dream,” with chorus and orchestra.
Patti Austin joins the orchestra on May 19 & 20 for a song set that includes the world premiere of a powerful new song called “We the People,” written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Roger Kellaway. “We the People” is the theme song for “Visions of America -a Photo Symphony.”
March 27, 2010 – Alan and Marilyn Bergman joined their long time collaborator, Michel Legrand for an evening “Michel Legrand and Friends at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas”
March 19, 2010
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Students, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Tony Bennett and moderator Michael Kerker
Alan and Marilyn Bergman participate in the 1st video in Exploring the Art’s new Exploring the Arts with the Masters series which is now available on The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Education website. ETA provides free arts education programming to teachers and students nationwide. The video features, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, along with Tony Bennett in conversation and performance with high school students and ASCAP’s Director of Musical Theatre, Michael Kerker, at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. ETA is proud to offer students around the country the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest master artists of our time as they speak about their craft and tremendous contributions to The Great American Songbook. The video will remain available online in The Kennedy Center’s archived broadcasts for one year. To learn more about ETA’s new video series, click here.
March 15, 2010 – Up Close and Musicalwith Alan & Marilyn Bergman
Alan and Marilyn Bergman with moderator Michael A. Kerker (ASCAP)
The Actors Fund (The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.) presented a very special Musical Monday. This benefit was held at the Pantages Theatre with special guests Maureen McGovern and Lari White. Musical direction by Bill Cantos for Alan Bergman and Lari White, and Michael Orland for Maureen McGovern..
March 7, 2010 – CBS Sunday Morning Show aired a piece on Alan and Marilyn with interviewer Nancy Giles.
February 2010 – Jack Jones announced he will be releasing an album of Alan and Marilyn Bergman songs. Check his website for an update. http://jackjones.lolipop.jp/
September 18, 2009 – Listen for their new song “Trust Me” – written with Marvin Hamlish in the movie The Informant starring Matt Damon.
September 9 – 19, 2009 – Jack Jones launches OAK ROOM’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
with a Bergman Songfest at the Algonquin in New York.
November 3 , 2008 – “Nice ‘n’ Easy”: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman at The Paley Center for Media
December 16 , 2008 – Alan Bergman performed at Vibrato, Los Angeles.
August 20-24, 2008– Alan Bergman performed at Catalina Bar and Grill, Los Angeles.
Michael Feinstein celebrated the 50 year collaboration of the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The show will featured Alan Bergman as special guest vocalist, in addition to nightly guest stars. Feinstein performed Bergman standards like “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” and “Where Do You Start?,” in addition to rarely heard songs from their catalog. Musical director Alan Broadbent led an all-star quintet.
May 21, 2008 “An Evening Celebrating Alan and Marilyn Bergman” at the Paley Center for Media, New York City.
May 8-17, 2008– Alan Bergman performed with Michael Feinstein featuring special surprise guests!
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, New York City.
October 30, 2007- Alan and Marilyn Q&A with ASCAP’s Michael Kerker at Northwestern University in Chicago
October 2007 – Alan Bergman performed in Ireland with the RTE Orchestra and Big Band with Musical Direction by Brian Byrne.
Alan Bergman performs their original song “Just Getting Started” with music by Dave Grusin at the end of the Carl Reiner documentary film “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast” for more information click here.
Hearing Alan Bergman perform a program of his songs Tuesday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. was like hearing Johnny Mercer sing “One For My Baby” or Antonio Carlos Jobim do “Aguas de Marzo.” I say “his” songs inclusively, since they really were songs with lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with music by the likes of Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Dave Grusin and others.
When one considers what that list of songs includes – “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and “The Way We Were” and more – there was enough hit power in the program to make for an intriguing performance on that basis alone.
But that wasn’t what this evening was about. The real center of attention was the slender, smiling figure of 85 year old Bergman, perched on a stool, singing with the sole backing of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Trey Henry. His singing, his way with a song, his utterly convincing ability to tell a story, were enough to mesmerize his listeners. Add to that the extraordinary lyrics by the Bergmans, combined with the soaring melodies by their world class composer partners, and the result was that too-rare experience, a musical evening to remember.
Every song, in its own way, was a highlight. But there were pieces that had additionally captivating moments: the jaunty swing (perfectly enhanced by Cantos and Henry) of “Nice ‘n’ Easy” and “It Might Be You”; the less familiar, but no less engaging “The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye” and “What Matters Most,” both written with Grusin; a whimsical break in the Bergman part of the program for Cantos to sing “Everybody’s On the Phone” – his version, not the Jimmy Buffett tune. As well as the most touching moment – Bergman’s tender rendition of his “That Face,” originally written in the late ‘50s as a gift to his then soon to be wife – topped off with a gentle smile in the direction of Marilyn Bergman, seated in the audience.
As I said, a memorable evening. Bergman recorded most of these songs with full orchestra in the 2007 album, Lyrically Alan Bergman, his debut as a singer. It’s a CD that should be owned by anyone with a love for American song.
But as the Tuesday night performance concluded, I found myself wishing for a Bergman recording of the same songs, perhaps via a DVD video, with just a rhythm section, preferably Cantos and Henry with a sensitive drummer – say Peter Erskine. Why? Because the musical airiness of the sound, the intimacy of the setting and the spontaneous empathy between singer and players brought these remarkable songs alive in way that warrants re-hearing and re-seeing.
Sinatra, Streisand, Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett — even Fred Astaire — have all recorded their songs: The husband-and-wife team of Marilyn and Alan Bergman has been writing irresistible tunes together for 50 years.
Their songs include “Nice & Easy,” “In the Heat of the Night” (recorded by Ray Charles), “That Face,” “You Must Believe in Spring,” “The Way We Were” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”; they’ve written the lyrics for music featured in films as diverse as Tootsie and the original Thomas Crown Affair.
Alan Bergman has recorded an album of their songs with the Berlin Radio Orchestra; it’s called Lyrically.
Before there were singer-songwriters, there were songwriters – those who wrote, not for their own voices, but for films, television and non-songwriting singers. Think of the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Stephen Sondheim.
Alan and Marilyn Bergman surely would be too modest to put themselves in such exalted company, but their lyrics – written with composers such as Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel and Dave Grusin – have brilliantly perpetuated songwriting as the creative craft it was in the era of the Great American Songbook.
Occasionally, as Alan Bergman did Tuesday at Vibrato in Bel-Air in an appearance celebrating the release of his CD “Lyrically, Alan Bergman,” he steps out of the private world of songwriting for a rare performance as a singer-songwriter.
The result was an insightful look at the inner workings of two very creative people – “When we hear a melody,” said Bergman, “we feel that the words are on the tips of the notes, and we have to find them” – as well as a chance to hear illuminating renderings of very familiar songs.
With the superb accompaniment of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Trey Henry, Bergman started with a toughie – a song with lyrics that are difficult for the most practiced singers: “The Windmills of Your Mind.” Like most “list” songs, it’s often delivered as a jumble of words, with little attention to detail. In Bergman’s reading, every phrase, every touching metaphor, came grippingly to life.
Up next, the far more lightweight “Nice ‘n’ Easy” (“How can you go wrong with a song for Frank Sinatra,” said Bergman), offered via an interpretation that found the song’s jaunty rhythms as well as its inner tenderness. Other hits followed — the Barbra Streisand classic, “The Summer Knows,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” “The Way We Were,’ “On My Way To You.”
But the high points of the evening were a pair of songs juxtaposing the polarities of love through lyrics exquisitely capturing the differences between beginnings and endings: “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” (both written with the Bergmans’ most creatively empathic collaborator, Legrand).
Each was sung softly, with little dramatic emphasis, with enough space to allow the words to make their own effect. As they concluded, the usually noisy room was held in breathtaking silence, as Bergman, the songwriter, became the most convincing of singer-songwriters.
The highly decorated lyricist Alan Bergman, (who with his partner and wife Marilyn have won more Oscars and Grammy’s that I want to sit around and count) has just released his first album Lyrically, Alan Bergman (Verve). In celebration he did a show Tuesday night at Joe’s Pub accompanied by the virtuoso piano and bass duo, Mike Renzi and Dave Finck.
Take the way he starts “Windmills Of Your Mind,” without a full line but just a single word – “Round” – that he makes into a statement all by itself. Mr. Bergman was so completely convincing that I found myself shaking my head and wondering if my mind really does have windmills in it. He may not have chops enough to make all the notes but he leaves nothing unsung.
Last Updated: October 16, 2024 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Marilyn K. Bergman
Marilyn K. Bergman
11/10/1928 – 01/08/2022
Please click the following link: https://www.ascap.com/news-events/articles/2022/01/marilyn-bergman-in-memoriam
Last Updated: February 13, 2023 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Performances
April 4, 2020 – Alan Bergman performed with Tierney Sutton and Mitch Forman on piano. At The Jazz Bakery at the Moss Theatre.
Last Updated: October 16, 2024 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Ballroom
BALLROOM
Book by Jerome Kass, Music by Billy Goldenberg,
Lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman
January 29 – February 16, 2020
Directed by Ron Celona
Musical Direction by Scott Storr
Choreography by Jose de la Cuesta
A new, re-imagined revival of the 1978 Broadway musical BALLROOM will debut at CVRep. BALLROOM is based on the 1975 CBS television movie Queen Of The Stardust Ballroom which starred Maureen Stapleton and was made into a Broadway production developed by Tony Award –winning director Michael Bennett (co-creator of A Chorus Line.) This moving story is about aging widow Bea Asher who, having lost her beloved Morrie, begins life anew at the Stardust Ballroom, an old school Brooklyn dance palace.
Under the guidance of the authors and Concord Theatricals, the licensor and publisher of BALLROOM, CVRep’s revised, twenty-four-character version will include all the musical numbers from the original Broadway production, restore several songs originally written for the show, and three brand new songs by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Billy Goldenberg.
*WINNER of the 1979 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Choreography
*NOMINEE – 1979 11 Tony Awards (All major categories), 7 Drama Desk Awards
“It brings class to Broadway.” – New York Post
Last Updated: March 5, 2020 by Threesome Leave a Comment
New Release: Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman
https://www.amazon.com/Sinatra-Sings-Alan-Marilyn-Bergman/dp/B07VYWB863
Throughout his seven-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. The Oscar winner also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.
Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman features songs by the esteemed, Academy Award winning songwriting duo, including the title track from Sinatra’s 1960 Grammy-nominated album, “Nice ‘N’ Easy.” “As lyric writers,” says Alan Bergman in liner notes, “to have a singer understand and be able to communicate what you wrote, whether it be about love or love lost or songs that needed a humorous approach, Frank got it… his readings were always on the money and more than what we heard in our minds.”
Last Updated: November 6, 2019 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Past Appearances & Announcements
November 6, 2019 – Alan performs with Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. Click here for tickets.
November 4, 2018 – Alan performed, along with many others, at a Jazz Foundation of America Fundraiser honoring Johnny Mathis at Vibrato. F
October 21, 2018 – Alan Bergman along with special guest Tierney Sutton accompanied by Bill Cantos on piano and Trey Henry on bass will perform at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood.
September 28, 2018 – Alan and Tierney Sutton accompanied by Christian Jacob and Trevor Ware will perform at Vitellos in Studio City.
July 12, 2018 – Alan and Marilyn Bergman along with Dave Grusin nominated for an Emmy for “Just Getting Started” from the HBO movie “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast”. http://www.emmys.com/shows/if-youre-not-obit-eat-breakfast
March 15, 2018 – Alan Bergman accompanied by Bill Cantos on piano performed at Catalina Bar and Grill with guest appearance by Tierney Sutton.
February 17, 2018 – 18th Annual Newport Beach Jazz Party and Big Band Blowout – Alan performed with Bill Cantos and Chuck Berghofer.
February 7, 2018 – ASCAP President and current Chairman of the Board Paul Williams presented the inaugural ASCAP President’s Award to former ASCAP President Marilyn Bergman for her contributions to ASCAP and for elevating the rights of music creators worldwide, over more than three decades of transformative leadership.
Williams commented: “Marilyn Bergman shaped the legacy of ASCAP with her passionate commitment to championing our music makers and laying the groundwork for the next generation of creatives. She presided over our organization during a time of incredible growth, and reacted to changes in the music landscape with political savvy and acumen. It is an honor to award her with ASCAP’s very first President’s Award.”
Bergman was honored with a performance of “Make Me Rainbows” by Sheléa, accompanied by Katisse Buckingham (saxophone). “Make Me Rainbows” was written by Bergman, her husband Alan Bergman and iconic composer John Williams, and is featured on Sheléa’s forthcoming album tribute to the Bergmans, Pretty World.
September 2017 – Alan Bergman performs their original song “Just Getting Started” with music by Dave Grusin at the end of the Carl Reiner documentary film “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast” for more information click here.
Available on iTunes click here
November 7, 2017 – December 17, 2017 – Chasing Mem’ries: A Different Kind of Musical – In this world premiere with songs written by legendary lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Tyne Daly stars as a woman not quite ready to let go of the life she’s loved and the love of her life.
November 7, 2015 – the Los Angeles Jazz Society honors Alan and Marilyn Bergman with their 2015 Jazz Tribute Award. For tickets and more information click here.
October 12, 2015 – Lyrically, The Songs of Alan and Marilyn Bergman – Alan performed with Mike Renzi on piano and David Finck on bass at Birdland in New York.
May 18, 2015 – LaGuardia Arts 30th Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala “Lyrics and Legacy” celebrates Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
February 15, 2015 – Alan performed with Tamir Hendelman and The Johnny Mandel Big Band at the Newport Beach Jazz Party
August 16, 2014 – Alan performed (along with other guests) at the Pasadena Pops with Michael Feinstein.
May 17, 2014 – Alan Bergman performed at The Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. With special Guest Tierney Sutton
December 13, 2013 – An Evening with Alan and Marilyn Bergman at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center
July 28, 2013 – Alan performed at The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
June 29, 2013 – The Johnny Mercer Award was presented to Alan and Marilyn at Northwestern University in Chicago.
June 12, 2013 – Alan and Marilyn were presented with the Women in Film Crystal Award in Beverly Hills.
February 10, 2013 – Alan performed with Ann Hampton Callaway at Disney Hall
January 27, 2013 – New West Symphony honored Alan and Marilyn with a Visions of America gala celebration.
November 14, 2012
Alan perfomed at Vibrato. Click here for a review of the evening.
June 21 & 22, 2012 – Alan and Marilyn appear on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, sharing their stories of their 50 plus years together. (Repeated August 1 & 2, 2012) This is a two part series – Click here to view
May 15 & 16, 2012 – Alan performs with Ann Hampton Callaway and the Boston Pops. (Click here for more info)
May & June 2012 – Visions of America performed with the Boston Pops, featuring five songs written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman and Roger Kellaway For more details about the project, click here
March 1, 2011 – Alan performed at Vibrato’s in Bel Air, CA Read live review by Don Heckman
February 19, 2011 – Alan Bergman to performed at The West Coast Jazz Festival in Newport Beach, CA .
May 19, 2010 – Boston Pops Orchestra premieres Bergman song “We The People” with Patti Austin.
Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops will be joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and special guests—actors Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris and actress Cherry Jones—for the world premiere performance of The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers—the centerpiece of the Boston Pops’ 125th anniversary season celebration—on May 18, at 8 p.m. (repeated on May 19), at Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. The May 18th and 19th programs will also feature Arlo Guthrie singing “This Land is Your Land” and Brian Stokes Mitchell singing a new arrangement of one of his signature songs, “The Impossible Dream,” with chorus and orchestra.
Patti Austin joins the orchestra on May 19 & 20 for a song set that includes the world premiere of a powerful new song called “We the People,” written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Roger Kellaway. “We the People” is the theme song for “Visions of America -a Photo Symphony.”
March 27, 2010 – Alan and Marilyn Bergman joined their long time collaborator, Michel Legrand for an evening “Michel Legrand and Friends at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas”
March 19, 2010
Alan and Marilyn Bergman participate in the 1st video in Exploring the Art’s new Exploring the Arts with the Masters series which is now available on The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Education website. ETA provides free arts education programming to teachers and students nationwide. The video features, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, along with Tony Bennett in conversation and performance with high school students and ASCAP’s Director of Musical Theatre, Michael Kerker, at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. ETA is proud to offer students around the country the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest master artists of our time as they speak about their craft and tremendous contributions to The Great American Songbook. The video will remain available online in The Kennedy Center’s archived broadcasts for one year. To learn more about ETA’s new video series, click here.
March 15, 2010 – Up Close and Musical with Alan & Marilyn Bergman
The Actors Fund (The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.) presented a very special Musical Monday. This benefit was held at the Pantages Theatre with special guests Maureen McGovern and Lari White. Musical direction by Bill Cantos for Alan Bergman and Lari White, and Michael Orland for Maureen McGovern..
March 7, 2010 – CBS Sunday Morning Show aired a piece on Alan and Marilyn with interviewer Nancy Giles.
February 2010 – Jack Jones announced he will be releasing an album of Alan and Marilyn Bergman songs. Check his website for an update. http://jackjones.lolipop.jp/
September 18, 2009 – Listen for their new song “Trust Me” – written with Marvin Hamlish in the movie The Informant starring Matt Damon.
September 9 – 19, 2009 – Jack Jones launches OAK ROOM’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
with a Bergman Songfest at the Algonquin in New York.
November 3 , 2008 – “Nice ‘n’ Easy”: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman at The Paley Center for Media
December 16 , 2008 – Alan Bergman performed at Vibrato, Los Angeles.
August 20-24, 2008 – Alan Bergman performed at Catalina Bar and Grill, Los Angeles.
Michael Feinstein celebrated the 50 year collaboration of the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The show will featured Alan Bergman as special guest vocalist, in addition to nightly guest stars. Feinstein performed Bergman standards like “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” and “Where Do You Start?,” in addition to rarely heard songs from their catalog. Musical director Alan Broadbent led an all-star quintet.
May 21, 2008
“An Evening Celebrating Alan and Marilyn Bergman” at the Paley Center for Media, New York City.
May 8-17, 2008 – Alan Bergman performed with Michael Feinstein featuring special surprise guests!
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, New York City.
October 30, 2007- Alan and Marilyn Q&A with ASCAP’s Michael Kerker at Northwestern University in Chicago
October 2007 – Alan Bergman performed in Ireland with the RTE Orchestra and Big Band with Musical Direction by Brian Byrne.
Last Updated: November 15, 2017 by Threesome Leave a Comment
“Just Getting Started” from the documentary film “If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast”
Available on iTunes click here.
Last Updated: November 6, 2017 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Live Music: Alan Bergman at Vibrato Grill Jazz…Etc.
March 1, 2011
By Don Heckman
Hearing Alan Bergman perform a program of his songs Tuesday night at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. was like hearing Johnny Mercer sing “One For My Baby” or Antonio Carlos Jobim do “Aguas de Marzo.” I say “his” songs inclusively, since they really were songs with lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with music by the likes of Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel, Dave Grusin and others.
When one considers what that list of songs includes – “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” and “The Way We Were” and more – there was enough hit power in the program to make for an intriguing performance on that basis alone.
But that wasn’t what this evening was about. The real center of attention was the slender, smiling figure of 85 year old Bergman, perched on a stool, singing with the sole backing of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Trey Henry. His singing, his way with a song, his utterly convincing ability to tell a story, were enough to mesmerize his listeners. Add to that the extraordinary lyrics by the Bergmans, combined with the soaring melodies by their world class composer partners, and the result was that too-rare experience, a musical evening to remember.
Every song, in its own way, was a highlight. But there were pieces that had additionally captivating moments: the jaunty swing (perfectly enhanced by Cantos and Henry) of “Nice ‘n’ Easy” and “It Might Be You”; the less familiar, but no less engaging “The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye” and “What Matters Most,” both written with Grusin; a whimsical break in the Bergman part of the program for Cantos to sing “Everybody’s On the Phone” – his version, not the Jimmy Buffett tune. As well as the most touching moment – Bergman’s tender rendition of his “That Face,” originally written in the late ‘50s as a gift to his then soon to be wife – topped off with a gentle smile in the direction of Marilyn Bergman, seated in the audience.
As I said, a memorable evening. Bergman recorded most of these songs with full orchestra in the 2007 album, Lyrically Alan Bergman, his debut as a singer. It’s a CD that should be owned by anyone with a love for American song.
But as the Tuesday night performance concluded, I found myself wishing for a Bergman recording of the same songs, perhaps via a DVD video, with just a rhythm section, preferably Cantos and Henry with a sensitive drummer – say Peter Erskine. Why? Because the musical airiness of the sound, the intimacy of the setting and the spontaneous empathy between singer and players brought these remarkable songs alive in way that warrants re-hearing and re-seeing.
Last Updated: November 6, 2017 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Listen to Alan & Marilyn Bergman’s interview on NPR from August 21, 2007
Alan and Marilyn Bergman Keep the Music Playing
Sinatra, Streisand, Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett — even Fred Astaire — have all recorded their songs: The husband-and-wife team of Marilyn and Alan Bergman has been writing irresistible tunes together for 50 years.
Their songs include “Nice & Easy,” “In the Heat of the Night” (recorded by Ray Charles), “That Face,” “You Must Believe in Spring,” “The Way We Were” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”; they’ve written the lyrics for music featured in films as diverse as Tootsie and the original Thomas Crown Affair.
Alan Bergman has recorded an album of their songs with the Berlin Radio Orchestra; it’s called Lyrically.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13822581
Last Updated: November 6, 2017 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Alan Bergman performance at Vibrato in Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times Review
by Don Heckman
Before there were singer-songwriters, there were songwriters – those who wrote, not for their own voices, but for films, television and non-songwriting singers. Think of the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Stephen Sondheim.
Alan and Marilyn Bergman surely would be too modest to put themselves in such exalted company, but their lyrics – written with composers such as Michel Legrand, Johnny Mandel and Dave Grusin – have brilliantly perpetuated songwriting as the creative craft it was in the era of the Great American Songbook.
Occasionally, as Alan Bergman did Tuesday at Vibrato in Bel-Air in an appearance celebrating the release of his CD “Lyrically, Alan Bergman,” he steps out of the private world of songwriting for a rare performance as a singer-songwriter.
The result was an insightful look at the inner workings of two very creative people – “When we hear a melody,” said Bergman, “we feel that the words are on the tips of the notes, and we have to find them” – as well as a chance to hear illuminating renderings of very familiar songs.
With the superb accompaniment of pianist Bill Cantos and bassist Trey Henry, Bergman started with a toughie – a song with lyrics that are difficult for the most practiced singers: “The Windmills of Your Mind.” Like most “list” songs, it’s often delivered as a jumble of words, with little attention to detail. In Bergman’s reading, every phrase, every touching metaphor, came grippingly to life.
Up next, the far more lightweight “Nice ‘n’ Easy” (“How can you go wrong with a song for Frank Sinatra,” said Bergman), offered via an interpretation that found the song’s jaunty rhythms as well as its inner tenderness. Other hits followed — the Barbra Streisand classic, “The Summer Knows,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” “The Way We Were,’ “On My Way To You.”
But the high points of the evening were a pair of songs juxtaposing the polarities of love through lyrics exquisitely capturing the differences between beginnings and endings: “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” (both written with the Bergmans’ most creatively empathic collaborator, Legrand).
Each was sung softly, with little dramatic emphasis, with enough space to allow the words to make their own effect. As they concluded, the usually noisy room was held in breathtaking silence, as Bergman, the songwriter, became the most convincing of singer-songwriters.
Last Updated: November 6, 2017 by Threesome Leave a Comment
Alan Bergman performance at Joe’s Pub in New York: New York Sun Review
June 5, 2007
by Will Friedwald
The highly decorated lyricist Alan Bergman, (who with his partner and wife Marilyn have won more Oscars and Grammy’s that I want to sit around and count) has just released his first album Lyrically, Alan Bergman (Verve). In celebration he did a show Tuesday night at Joe’s Pub accompanied by the virtuoso piano and bass duo, Mike Renzi and Dave Finck.
Take the way he starts “Windmills Of Your Mind,” without a full line but just a single word – “Round” – that he makes into a statement all by itself. Mr. Bergman was so completely convincing that I found myself shaking my head and wondering if my mind really does have windmills in it. He may not have chops enough to make all the notes but he leaves nothing unsung.
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