Leonard Bernstein and family had a home in Fairfield. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo by Paul de Hueck
The Westport Library has announced its 2018 Malloy Lecture in the Arts—“Bernstein on Broadway” on Monday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University.
The event will celebrate the life and contributions of legendary composer and conductor the late Leonard Bernstein, specifically his influence on modern American musical theater, an announcement said.
The evening is part of the worldwide celebration of Bernstein’s 100th birthday.
The first half of the evening will focus on Bernstein’s innumerable contributions to Broadway and will feature a panel discussion with two of Bernstein’s three children, Nina Bernstein Simmons and Alexander Bernstein, moderated by conductor, composer and producer George Steel.
During the discussion they will share memories of their father’s days composing music for the Broadway stage.
The discussion will be enhanced with archival Bernstein family footage showing scenes of their life in Fairfield, summers in Martha’s Vineyard, and elsewhere.
“We have had our house in Fairfield since I was 1-year-old,” said Nina Bernstein Simmons. “In my mind, Fairfield is synonymous with our family’s being together privately, with friends or without.
“My father was such a public figure in New York that he, and we, desperately craved a place where we could let our collective hair down. Fairfield was that place.”
The second half of the evening will feature live musical performances of some of Bernstein’s most iconic pieces including selections from “West Side Story,” “On the Town,” and “Wonderful Town.”
The selections will be performed by Broadway soloists including Tony Award nominee Tony Yazbeck, Amy Owens and Bryonha Marie Parham.
The evening will also include a special performance by the Staples High School Orphenians.
The evening’s musical director, Michael Barrett, will also perform a four-hand piano arrangement of the “Candide Overture” with celebrated Westport pianist Frederic Chiu.
Executive Producer of “Live From Lincoln Center,” and member of the Westport Library Board of Trustees, Andrew C. Wilk, is once again serving as the executive producer of this year’s Malloy Lecture in the Arts
The Malloy Lecture in the Arts is made possible by a generous contribution from the late Westport artist Susan Malloy.
The Westport Library created the lecture series in 2002 as a free, public annual discussion by an individual who has had a significant cultural influence and whose work has enhanced the understanding and appreciation of the arts.
The event is free; however, tickets are required. Tickets will be available via the Westport Library website on Monday, Sept. 24. For updates, check the Westport Library website http://www.westportlibrary.org.
