Friends, Fans and Family Honor Jerry Bock at American Airline's Theatre, 1/24

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that the American Airlines Theater will host a memorial celebration for the late Jerry Bock for family, friends and fans at 2:30pm on January 24, 2011. 

Bock's main lyricist, Sheldon Harnick will host the event, which will include appearances by Chita Rivera, Lonny Price, Hal Prince, Todd Haimes and more.  The memorial will also include performances of Bock's most celebrated songs and accompanying commentary by original cast members of his shows.

Larry Yurman will musical direct. Seating is open to the public and available on a first come, first served basis.

Bocked passed away at the age of 81 on November 4, 2010. 

Paul Libin, Chairman of The Broadway League and Executive Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters, called Jerry Bock, "one of Broadway's great composers of more than a dozen memorable musicals; he also wrote the book and lyrics for many of his productions. His work will live forever on Broadway."

Jerry Bock was an inspired musical composer who wrote the scores to such shows as Fiddler on the Roof and The Apple Tree. Jerrold Lewis Bock was born in New Haven, CT on November 23, 1928. He was raised in Flushing, Queens where he studied piano from a young age and began early compositions. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he wrote the musical Big As Life. Mr. Bock made his Broadway debut in 1955 with Catch a Star, a musical revue in which he collaborated on music and lyrics.

Jerry Bock was best known for the memorable and thoughtful score for Fiddler on the Roof, which incorporates Jewish prayer and klezmer music within a musical theater score. He also composed the shows Mr. Wonderful, The Body Beautiful, Fiorello!, Tenderloin, Never Too Late, Man in the Moon, She Loves Me, Baker Street, Generation, and The Rothschilds. He scored another musical hit in 1966 with The Apple Tree which was revived on Broadway in 2006. Mr. Bock collaborated with many notable Broadway writers, but he consistently worked with the late Joseph Stein, who wrote the book to Fiddler on the Roof, and his long-time creative partner lyricist Sheldon Harnick, also of Fiddler on the Roof.

Mr. Bock received the 1965 Tony Award® for writing the music to Fiddler on the Roof, which also won the 1965 Tony Award® for Best Musical. He won his first Tony Award® for his Best Musical Fiorello! in 1960. Fiorello! also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that same year. He was nominated for She Loves Me (1964), The Apple Tree (1967) and The Rothschilds (1971).
Mr. Bock was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. In 2010, Mr. Bock became an Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Original Song - Children's and Animation category - for "A Fiddler Crab Am I," penned with Larry Hochman and Billy Aronson. It was heard on the series "Wonder Pets."

The Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre was established in 1997 and continues to provide an annual $2,000 grant presented to a composer and lyricist.

He is survived by his wife, Patti, daughter Portia Bock, son George Bock and granddaughter Edie Mae Shipler.

The Broadway League, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. Visit www.BroadwayLeague.com.