92nd Street Y Opens 'Lyrics & Lyricists' Jan.12-14 with Ted Sperling

The 92nd Street Y opens the 2008 season of Lyrics & Lyricists, the Y's legendary American Songbook series, with "It's Magic: The Lyrics of Sammy Cahn," by artistic director Ted Sperling, who also serves as host.  The show features vocalists Laura Marie Duncan (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty), downtown cabaret/lounge singer Julian Fleisher, Capathia Jenkins (Caroline, or Change), Karen Morrow (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and Clarke Thorell (Hairspray).

In this show, Ted Sperling – arranger, music director, conductor, actor and director – explores the wide variety of Sammy Cahn's lyric writing, from the simplicity of songs like "I Fall in Love Too Easily" to the playfulness of novelty songs like "10432 Sheep" and "It's a Great Feeling," both rarely heard numbers from Doris Day movies. Sperling revisits some of Cahn's movie classics, written with Jule Styne, including "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)," "It's Magic" and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow."  Also on the song list is one of Cahn's early hits, written with Saul Chaplin – the English version of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," which made the Andrews Sisters famous. The show also includes the song that became Mario Lanza's first hit, "Be My Love," with Nicholas Brodzsky; and a handful of the hits Cahn wrote with Jimmy Van Heusen for Frank Sinatra including "Come Fly With Me," "Only The Lonely," and "High Hopes."

Ted Sperling won a Tony for the Broadway hit The Light in the Piazza.  He directed L&L's recent tributes to E.Y. "Yip" Harburg and Frank Loesser, and has directed several programs for the American Songbook series at Lincoln Center, as well as shows at Town Hall and Joe's Pub.  His Broadway credits include The Full Monty, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He also performs regularly as a pianist and music director with soprano Audra McDonald.

Performances and tickets ($50 and $60) are Saturday, January 12 at 8PM; Sunday, January 13 at 3PM & 8PM, Monday, January 14 at 2PM & 8PM.

L&L shows are Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 and 8 pm, and Monday at 2 and 8pm.  Individual tickets are $60 and $50; subscriptions to the entire series are $250 and $220.  For more information, please visit www.92Y.org/lyrics.