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09/08/2016 12:01 AMMadison Lyric Stage will present an original musical review, Aaron and Lenny On the Town: Music and Letters of Bernstein and Copland, on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Guilford, 49 Park Street on the historic Guilford Green.
Aaron and Lenny On the Town showcases the music and letters of Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. Not only were they two of the greatest American composers of their generation, they were also close friends and devoted correspondents throughout their long lives.
Conceived by Madison Lyric Stage artistic director Marc Deaton, the production includes musical selections from Bernstein’s Candide, On The Town, West Side Story, and Wonderful Town, and Copland’s Appalachian Spring and The Tender Land.
Building on the success of its sold-out production of Evita this summer, Madison Lyric Stage is returning to the Guilford venue, which was once a summer stock theater called The Chapel Playhouse and hosted numerous productions in the 1930s and 1940s.
Deaton says, “We had such a terrific experience performing Evita at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Guilford that we are returning for this original musical review. It’s compelling to me that Copland and Bernstein were ‘pen pals’ for most of their careers. I’ve chosen a selection of their letters that we will use to illuminate the personal experiences of these two musical giants, as they were writing these landmark pieces. The songs are fabulous and many are instantly recognizable.”
Tickets are $30 and can be reserved by visiting madisonlyricstage.org or calling 203-779-5258. Tickets are also available for purchase at R.J. Julia in Madison
Madison Lyric Stage musical director Eric Trudel leads a cast that includes Cindy Bailey, Carly Callahan, Charity Clark, Marc Deaton, Daniel Hague, Tom Heilman, Barbara Hentschel, John Johmann, Matt Johnson, Mary Mannix, and Susan Yankee.
Founded by a group of professional performers, Madison Lyric Stage is an arts collective for the shoreline of Connecticut. Its mission is to present professional-quality entertainment from the worlds of opera, musical theater, and drama. Past productions include A Little Night Music, Evita, Macbeth, Peter Grimes, Salome, The Glass Menagerie, and many others. For more information about Madison Lyric Stage, visit madisonlyricstage.org.