JCCSF Presents Irving Berlin's I LOVE A PIANO At The Jewish Community Center 11/20-21

By: Oct. 09, 2009
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Irving Berlin's I Love A Piano, an enchanting new musical revue that spans over seven decades of American history, comes to Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) for two performances on November 20 and 21 at 8 pm.

Using 64 of Berlin's enduring and popular favorites, I Love A Piano captures the spirit of America from the ragtime era of the early 20th century through the swinging elegance of the 1920's and 30's. From the songs that inspired a nation through the Great Depression to the innocent optimism of the 1950's, I Love A Piano embarks on an enduring journey through musical heaven. Timeless classics, such as "Puttin' On The Ritz," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Change Partners," "How Deep Is The Ocean,""God Bless America," and "White Christmas," do more than identify the music of a generation, they define the music of our country.

Featuring exuberant show-stopping song and dance numbers, I Love a Piano is playing to audiences across the nation, with stops in 40 cities. The talented cast of 8 triple threat singer/dancer/actors includes Jackey Good, Crystal Kellogg, Ryan Lammer, George Papas, Haley Swindal, Ashley Wallace, Jason Weitkamp, and Joshua Woodie.

The Los Angeles Times raved: "When asked where Irving Berlin ranked in American music, fellow giant Jerome Kern famously said, 'Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music.' The enduring truth of Kern's assessment underpins the showbiz panache of 'I Love a Piano,' ...as invigorating a song-catalog revue as any since AIN'T MISBEHAVIN."

Variety reviewed it by saying: "Ray Roderick may love a piano, but his heart truly belongs to Irving Berlin. Roderick directed and choreographed this tribute revue and co-wrote it with Michael Berkeley. His affection for Berlin's songs has resulted in an energetic, animated presentation of nearly 60 of Berlin's tunes, ranging from 1911's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to selections from 1950's "Call Me Madam."

The Boston Globe called it "A spectrum of brilliant Berlin... It captures both the astonishing range of Berlin's musical styles and the cleverness of his simple rhymes, which makes it easy to understand why the songwriter remains a national treasure."

Tickets at $50 and $55 may be purchased through the JCCSF Box Office, 415/282-1233 or online at http://www.jccsf.org/arts. The Center is located at 3200 California Street at Presidio.



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