Eastman Showcase 2008
Putting on a Happy Face
One of Broadway’s great “Golden Age” composers is also an Eastman grad – Charles Strouse (BM ‘47). Strouse celebrates his 80th birthday on June 7, 2008, but his home town of New York has already begun celebrating his fruitful composing career, which includes such successful musicals as Bye Bye Birdie (1960), Golden Boy (1965), Applause (1970) -- which was revived at New York’s City center last month – and the unstoppable Annie (1977). On February 6, Strouse was honored in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, with a concert featuring jazz pianist and singer Eric Comstock, performing four decades of Strouse’s theater music. The evening was capped by Strouse himself at the piano, giving lively performances of two of his signature tunes: “Tomorrow” from Annie; and the theme song from TV’s All in the Family. You can read about all the above in Strouse’s upcoming autobiography, Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir, to be published by Union Square Press in July 2008.