Kelli O'Hara, Stephen Schwartz, Patti LuPone & More Will Take Part in Symphony Space's Project B-way/95

Symphony Space pays exuberant homage to the Great White Way with Project B-way/95, a two-week celebration comprising 14 events, April 7 - 20. Curated and Produced by Joel Fram andAnnette Jolles, and named for the intersection where Symphony Space stands, Project B-way/95 salutes Broadway with an exciting array of concerts, tributes, film screenings, discussions, workshops, and more. Anchored by three starry concerts in the Sharp Theatre - an evening with the incomparable Patti LuPone (Tuesday, April 19), the cheerfully nepotistic "All in the Family" with Kelli O'Hara (Monday, April 11), and this year's installment of Symphony Space's signature event, Wall to Wall Stephen Schwartz (Saturday, April 16) - Project B-way/95 offers something for every lover of American musical theater. Tickets for all events are available at symphonyspace.org.

Says Andrew Byrne, Artistic Director of Symphony Space, "I am delighted that Symphony Space is launching this brand new initiative, celebrating the most American of art forms. We're pulling back the curtain and inviting audiences the see, hear, and meet with leading lyricists, composers, directors and performers from Broadway today. A special thanks to Joel Fram and Annette Jolles for curating Project B-Way/95." Following are details on each event, grouped by category; a chronological summary appears below.

CONCERTS

Thursday, April 7 (7:30 pm, Leonard Nimoy Thalia): Broadway Premieres

Symphony Space's inaugural Project B-Way/95 opens with an exciting concert of world premiere songs written by Broadway's finest composers and lyricists, including:

Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County), John Bucchino (A Catered Affair), Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime), Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens), Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!), Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party), Lisa Lambert (The Drowsy Chaperone), Andrew Lippa (Big Fish), Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast), Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen (Tuck Everlasting), Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (A Christmas Story), Matthew Sklar (Gotta Dance), and Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner (First Date).

A chance to hear tomorrow's standards today. Featuring Peter Benson, Kennedy Caughell, Caitlin Kinnunen, Jessica Phillips, Elena Shaddow and Josh Young, and performances by Jason Robert Brown, Tom Kitt, and Andrew Lippa. Music direction by Grant Wenaus.

Friday, April 8 (7:30 pm, Leonard Nimoy Thalia): Young Lions of Broadway
Symphony Space becomes the place to discover up-and-coming creators who will define Broadway for years to come. Hosted by Tony and Grammy nominated composer Andrew Lippa, songwriters include: Ty Defoe & Tidtaya Sinutoke, Peter Lerman, Or Matias, Alexander Sage Oyen, Alex Ratner, Tim Rosser & Charlie Sohne, Heath Saunders, Alan Schmuckler, Pete Seibert & Patrick Lundquist, Mark Sonnenblick, Shaina Taub, and Ben Wexler. Don't miss this joyful look at the young writers who are creating the sound of Broadway's next generation - performed by musical theater's future stars.

Monday, April 11 (8 pm, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre): All in the Family
This sparkling event proves that talent runs in families - and in couples too! Some of Broadway's most notable power duos and clans take the stage, including: Michael Arden & Andy Mientus, Sierra & Summer Boggess & Brian Hertz, Chuck, Eddie & Lilli Cooper, Nikki Renée Daniels & Jeff Kready, Arielle & Adam Jacobs, Kelli O'Hara & James, Greg & Keira Naughton, Alanna, Claire, Heath & Trent Saunders. Music direction by Greg Anthony Rassen.

Thursday, April 14 (7:30 pm, Leonard Nimoy Thalia): Sh-K-Boom Records presents...
Symphony Space partners with multi-nominated and Grammy Award-winning Sh-K-Boom Records, as producer Kurt Deutsch celebrates top-selling artists (to be announced) from the label in concert.

Saturday, April 16 (3 - 11 pm, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre): Wall to Wall Stephen Schwartz
Symphony Space's annual extravaganza celebrates the music and lyrics of Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz. For five decades, his groundbreaking works have garnered him three Academy Awards, four Grammys, and a place in the Theater Hall of Fame and The Songwriters Hall of Fame. The composer and lyricist of such theatrical milestones as Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, he has also made significant contributions to the worlds of animated film, opera, and concert music.

Tuesday, April 19 (8 pm, Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre): Patti LuPone

The incomparable Patti LuPone gives the final concert of PROJECT B-WAY/95, bringing her incredible artistry uptown for this not-to-miss recital of the best of Broadway! Repertoire to be announced.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Sunday, April 10 (3 pm, Leonard Nimoy Thalia): The King and I: From Book to Stage to Film
An in-depth look at The King and I exploring the fascinating journey this story took from autobiography, to novel, to film, to musical, and then to film musical. Featuring film clips, live performances, and discussions with Broadway actresses Karen Ziemba (Bullets Over Broadway) and Marni Nixon (Follies), and noted theater historian Michael Portantiere. Curated and hosted by Ted Chapin, President and Executive Director of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Music direction by Grant Wenaus.

Wednesday, April 13 (7:30 pm, Leonard Nimoy Thalia): The Changing Face of Broadway: Race and Diversity in the American Musical Theater
An exploration of the challenges and rewards of nontraditional casting and the changing landscape of ethnic diversity on the Broadway stage, featuring live performances, film clips and a panel discussion. Hosted by Christine Toy Johnson - actor, writer, and award-winning activist on issues of diversity and discrimination in the arts. With appearances and performances by:

LaChanze (Tony Award Winner for The Color Purple; Once on This Island, If/Then, Dessa Rose), Alvin Hough, Jr. (Pianist & current Associate Conductor of The Color Purple), Tara Rubin (Casting Director, School of Rock - The Musical, Bullets Over Broadway, LES MISERABLES, Aladdin), Jack Viertel (Artistic Director of Encores!, Senior Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters)

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Friday, April 8 (10:30 pm, BAR Thalia): Broadway Open Mic
Following Young Lions of Broadway at 7:30 pm, the excitement continues in this late-night event when Mat Eisenstein (conductor for Broadway's Something Rotten, Newsies, The Book of Mormon) hosts an open mic night featuring Broadway's greatest music, accompanied by some of the Great White Way's finest music directors. Audience members are invited to belt out favorites in the presence of Broadway royalty. Admission is free.

Sunday, April 10 (11 am, throughout Symphony Space): Composers by Chance
Both fans and aspiring songwriters will have a rare opportunity to converse with some of Broadway's most gifted creators. Positioned throughout Symphony Space, composers and lyricists Nell Benjamin & Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde: The Musical, Bat Boy, Mean Girls), Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then), and Matthew Sklar (Gotta Dance, Elf), host intimate discussions on life in the Broadway theatre. Audiences draw lots for two of the three sessions, with time for all to mingle at a bagel nosh in Bar Thalia in between. Space is strictly limited.

SCREENINGS

Saturday, April 9 (1 pm) and Wednesday, April 20 (7 pm): Gypsy (filmed live in London)
Leonard Nimoy Thalia
Gypsy is considered by many to be the greatest of Broadway musicals, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The score features such musical theater classics as Everything's Coming Up Roses, Some People, Let Me Entertain You, and Rose's Turn.

Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy tells the true story of ambitious showbiz mother Momma Rose, who treks across America with her daughters Baby June and Louise in search of success with their homespun vaudeville act. As times change, Momma Rose is forced to accept the demise of vaudeville and the rise of burlesque, as well as her daughters' quest for autonomy. This critically acclaimed West End production features Imelda Staunton as Momma Rose, with powerful turns by Lara Pulver as Louise and Peter Davison as Herbie. Directed by Jonathan Kent. Presented by Ellen M. Krass Productions.

Tuesday, April 12 (7 pm) and Wednesday, April 20 (3 pm): Company
Leonard Nimoy Thalia
Following five couples and their friend Robert (Neil Patrick Harris), the perpetual bachelor, this HD recording of Stephen Sondheim's Company explores the true meaning of being in a relationship through a series of vignettes. Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Rent) leads a star-studded cast which includes Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Craig Bierko andMartha Plimpton.

Company's plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. It's a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby's 35th birthday. Featuring the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Gemignani. Presented by Ellen M. Krass Productions.

Symphony Space traces its beginnings to a free marathon concert, Wall to Wall Bach, held in 1978 and organized by co-founders Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller. The music marathon then drew thousands of visitors and has since become one of the organization's signature events. Today Symphony Space presents more than 600 events each season, including music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings. Some of its best known programs include Selected Shorts, a reading of short stories by stars of stage and screen, and one of the most popular series on public radio;National Theatre Live,broadcasting the best of British theatre to cinemas around the world; and Just Kidding, one of the most talked about family entertainment series around town. Uptown Showdown has been called "New York's best comedy series" by New York magazine. For more information, visit symphonyspace.org.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Box office hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm, open two hours prior to performances and events. Tickets can also be purchased through www.symphonyspace.org, or by calling 212/864-5400.