The cast of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman Photo by Jeff Lorch (click on image to enlarge)
Jerry Herman Photo courtesy The Pasadena Playhouse
You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman is now in its final week and must close Sunday, February 7 on PlayhouseLive. You I Like, from Pasadena Playhouse, is a virtual musical revue honoring the genius responsible for the Broadway classics Hello, Dolly!; Mame; La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel, and many more.
The critics raved! The New York Times declared You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman a Critics’ Pick! The Los Angeles Times said, “… lavishes love on a lyricist and composer who didn’t always get his due.” Cultural Weekly said, “People, we have You I Like. And yes, I like it.”
Video-on-demand streaming of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman is available to rent on PlayhouseLive through this Sunday, February 7th for $24.99. After the initial purchase through the website www.playhouselive.org, You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman can be watched on any of the PlayhouseLive apps including Apple OS, Android OS, Roku, FireTV and more. Closed captioning will be available in both English and Spanish.
You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, conceived and music directed by Andy Einhorn (Music Director and Music Supervisor, Broadway’s Hello, Dolly!; Carousel, among others), marks the first theatrical tribute to Jerry Herman by a professional theater company since the passing of this Tony Award-winning Broadway legend one year ago.
The PlayhouseLive production of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman features Einhorn on the piano with performances by Ashley Blanchet (Broadway: Frozen), Nicholas Christopher (Broadway: Hamilton), Lesli Margherita (Broadway: Matilda The Musical), Andrea Ross (‘Maria’ in The Sound of Music National Tour) and Ryan Vona (Broadway: Once). Andy Einhorn’s many Broadway credits include his recent conducting of Tony Award winner Bette Midler in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! for which he served as music director.
Jerry Herman gifted us with some of the most beloved showtunes in the history of musical theater and popular song. In 1964, the cast recording of Hello, Dolly! was number one on the Billboard Pop Album Chart for seven weeks and was the top album on the Year-End Chart. In addition, the song “Hello, Dolly!” reached number one on the Pop Chart that same year, replacing the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” in the number one spot that it had held for 14 weeks.
Jerry’s works sparked joy, inspired optimism, and celebrated life to its fullest. You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman is a delightful and stirring homage to Jerry’s artistry and legacy, featuring songs from all of Herman’s musicals, highlighting his craftsman approach to lyrics and melodies. In You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, Andy Einhorn explores themes that are commonly found in Herman’s work: love, family, home, and optimism, through such songs as “Time Heals Everything,” “I Am What I Am,” “It’s Today” and “It Only Takes a Moment.”
“These themes are who Jerry Herman was as both an artist and as a man,” comments Einhorn. “Jerry Herman was joy personified. He wrote shows that sparked joy, brought out positivity in the face of adversity, granted his characters second chances, and reinforced the love of family and life. He left a piece of himself in everything he wrote, and may these treasures bring some joy and comfort to everyone during these uncertain and challenging times.”
Pasadena Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman says, “Jerry Herman’s songs have an optimism and joy that can’t be rivaled. After the challenges we’ve all faced over the past few months, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year. This love letter to Jerry is an entertaining celebration of his life and exploration of his legacy.”
Following You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, PlayhouseLive continues its Educational Programming with The Contemporary Broadway Musical, a nine-week seminar taught by Broadway Producer Adam Epstein examining the evolution of the American musical from Evita in 1979 to Hamilton.
This seminar will focus on Broadway from the past three decades, surveying the American musicals of the 1980’s, including, but not limited to Dreamgirls, La Cage Aux Folles, and Into the Woods, as well as the British invasion of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh, to the boundary-breaking musicals of the 90’s such as Rent and Ragtime to the biggest hits of the 21st century including The Producers, Hairspray, Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Class lectures will center around how the form has changed since the so-called “Golden Age,” what direction(s) the musical has taken, and what it means to be an “American” musical.
Course schedule: Mondays, February 22 – April 19, 2021 at 5 p.m. PST. Classes can be attended live at the time indicated. In addition, the course videos will be made available to enrollees within 24 hours of the conclusion of each session.
To get more information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, sign up for the newsletter at www.playhouselive.org.
About PlayhouseLive
PlayhouseLive is a first-of-its-kind digital streaming platform for nonprofit theaters. Powered by Pasadena Playhouse, PlayhouseLive’s “theater on demand” hosts fully realized cinema-quality productions filmed in high definition on stage specifically for the digital platform. It takes online theatrical performances beyond Zoom readings and interpretations to full scale productions for viewers around the world to enjoy. Distribution channels include a standalone website, iPhone and Android apps, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Chromecast, and AirPlay, among others.
In addition to theater on demand, PlayhouseLive programming will include staged readings, and cabarets, as well as original series, documentaries, and theater classes. It is a home for a wide array of theatrical voices through new and revisited work. Additional information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, are available at www.playhouselive.org.
