George Gershwin Videos

Barnes & Noble's new holiday TV ad features a festive duet between music icons and 'Cheek to Cheek' collaborators Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

Happy Birthday, George Gershwin! Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known. Among his best known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, as well as the opera Porgy and Bess. Gershwin's music has been heard on the Broadway stage in Nice Work If You Can Get It, Crazy for You, and many more.

Today in 1943, Porgy and Bess opened at the 44th Street Theatre, where it ran for 24 performances. First performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, it was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward. All three works deal with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an 'American folk opera', Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers-a daring artistic choice at the time.

Today in 1981, the second Broadway revival of My Fair Lady opened at the Uris Theatre (now the George Gershwin Theatre), where it ran for 120 performances. My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so that she may pass as a well born lady. The musical's 1956 Broadway production was a hit, setting what was then the record for the longest run of any major musical theatre production in history. It was followed by a hit London production, a popular film version, and numerous revivals.

Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope, stars of The Tony Award-winning new Broadway musical An American in Paris, performed the song 'Liza' on 'LIVE with Kelly and Michael' today.

Today in 1985, Singin' in the Rain opened at the George Gershwin Theatre, where it ran for 367 performances. Singin' in the Rain is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original. Set in Hollywood in the waning days of the silent screen era, it focuses on romantic lead Don Lockwood, his sidekick Cosmo Brown, aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Lockwood's leading lady Lina Lamont, whose less-than-dulcet vocal tones make her an unlikely candidate for stardom in talking pictures. Directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, the cast included Don Correia as Don, Mary D'Arcy as Kathy, Peter Slutsker as Cosmo, and Faye Grant as Lina.

Caitlyn Jenner has been all over the Big Apple this week, so it comes as no surprise that she hit the Great White Way last night to take in a Broadway show.

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY recently released the Original Broadway Cast Recording of An American in Paris, produced by Rob Fisher and Scott Lehrer. The score of An American in Paris includes the songs 'I Got Rhythm,' 'Liza,' 'S Wonderful,' 'But Not For Me,' 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise,' and orchestral music including 'Concerto in F,' 'Second Prelude,' 'Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture' and 'An American In Paris.' Below, we bring you an exclusive, behind-the-scenes video of the company in the recording studio!

Today in 1993, the second Broadway revival of Camelot opened at the George Gershwin Theatre, where it ran for 56 performances. Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King. The original 1960 production, directed by Moss Hart and orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang, ran on Broadway for 873 performances, winning four Tony Awards and spawning several revivals, foreign productions and a 1967 film version. The 1993 cast starred Robert Goulet, Steve Blanchard, and Patricia Kies.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS's Natasha Katz took home the 2015 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design yesterday evening. BroadwayWorld caught up with Katz in the winners' room right after her speech - hear what she had to say below!

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY releases the Original Broadway Cast Recordingof An American in Paris. Produced by Rob Fisher and Scott Lehrer, the album will be available everywhere on June 2, 2015. The score of An American in Paris includes the songs 'I Got Rhythm,' 'Liza,' 'S Wonderful,' 'But Not For Me,' 'I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise,' and orchestral music including 'Concerto in F,' 'Second Prelude,' 'Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture' and 'An American In Paris.' Below, we bring you a first listen of Jill Paice's rendition of 'Shall We Dance!'

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a Character Sketch of Adam Hochberg, played by Tony nominee Brandon Uranowitz!

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a Character Sketch of Milo Davenport, played by Jill Paice!

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a Character Sketch of Madame Baurel, played by Veanne Cox!

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a Character Sketch of Henri Baurel, played by Tony nominee Max von Essen!

Live at the IMER (Instituto Mexicano de la Radio) Florencia Cuenca & Jaime Lozano put jazz and musical theatre together creating what they have called 'The New Standards'. Below, watch as they perform Follies' 'Losing My Mind.'

Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Broadway World have partnered for filmed Conversations Q&A series to recognize and celebrate the vibrant theatre community in New York City and the union actors who aspire to have a career on the stage and screen. The most recent conversation featured the company of the 12-time Tony nominated An American in Paris of (Christopher Wheeldon, Craig Lucas, Leanne Cope, Max von Essen, Veanne Cox, Brandon Uranowitz and producer Stuart Oken) moderated by BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. Watch below to find out how things are going at the Palace Theatre, how they used their time in Paris to their advantage, and so much more. Check out the full interview below!

The new Broadway musical An American in Paris opened on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, it is inspired by the Academy-Award winning film. An American In Paris brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Lucas. BroadwayWorld was on the red carpet for the big night and below, you can check out interviews with Patina Miller, Andrew Lippa, Gloria Estefan, Michael Feinstein and more!

The new Broadway musical An American in Paris opened on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, it is inspired by the Academy-Award winning film. An American In Paris brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Lucas. BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on hand for opening night and you can check out what the company had to say after the curtain went down below!

The new Broadway musical AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is now in previews and will open Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Palace Theatre (Broadway at 47th Street). Below, BroadwayWorld brings you the newest sizzle reel from the show!