Broadway's Legendary Jewish Composers

Guest speaker: pianist/musicologist Jordan Klapman  

The goal of every Broadway songwriter is to match vibrant, emotion-inducing melodies with witty lyrics, in order to define character and reveal deeper understandings of a musical’s story. Ever since the American musical theatre first dazzled audiences in the early years of the 20th century – first on Broadway’s stages, later in Hollywood film musicals – an overwhelming majority of these most successful composers and songwriters were Jewish. Often drawing their inspiration from Yiddish music and theatre, they created entertaining songs that not only paralleled their immigrant family experiences, but also became an integral part of the cultural zeitgeist.

This five-part virtual lecture series celebrates the lives and songs of legendary Jewish composers Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Jerry Herman, John Kander & Fred Ebb, and Stephen Schwartz, and features songs from many of their greatest musicals, which now rank among the finest popular songs ever written.

October 4 – Irving Berlin
(no class on Thanksgiving)
October 18 – Jerome Kern
October 25 – Jerry Herman
November 1 – John Kander & Fred Ebb
November 8 – Stephen Schwartz