“Moonlight, Music, and Romance: Musical Lunar Delights" at First Church Cambridge

New England’s Award-Winning American Classics presents
"Moonlight, Music, and Romance: Musical Lunar Delights" 

Two Performances February 14 in Cambridge and 16 in Bedford

Continuing the 28th Season theme of Sun, Moon, and Stars, American Classics presents “Moonlight, Music, and Romance: Musical Lunar Delights" on February 14 and 16. Known for their entertaining and educational performances, American Classics' founders and producers Bradford Conner and Benjamin Sears blend familiar favorites with rarely performed selections performed by Greater Boston’s  top singers and musicians.

The nine-member cast features  Grace Allendorf, Bradford Conner, Sarah Kornfeld, Brian De Lorenzo, Ethan Sagin, Carolyn Saxon, Marcus Schenck, and Benjamin Sears, along with Bethany Aiken, making her American Classics debut on piano. 

In an early review by the late Boston Globe music critic Richard Dyer he writes, “The secret of light entertainment is that the standards of execution are no less demandingly exact than in the other musical arts. The best work by the American Classics performers demonstrated that they know this.” To round out the accolades, Theater Mirror’s Beverly Creasey noted, “The music is glorious. The performances are riotously screwball and you will leave humming the tunes. What's not to love?”

According to Conner, "We usually start with about fifty songs from our musical library that relate to the theme in some way. Then we narrow it down to songs that work well together, showcase the voices, and excite the cast. It sounds simple but once we hit rehearsals, creating the program is a collaborative musical puzzle."  Sears adds, “By performance time it is so much fun to witness performers and audience discover the music together.” 

Some of the slated lunar delights include "Blue Moon" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (1934), "Moon River" by Johnny Mercer (1960), “How High the Moon" by Nancy Hamilton (1940), "In the Still of the Night" by Cole Porter (1937), and "Shine On, Harvest Moon" by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth (1908), along with works by Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, and others. 

"Moonlight, Music, and Romance: Musical Lunar Delights" performances will take place on Friday, February 14, 2025, at 7:30 PM at First Church Congregational, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, and on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 3:00 PM at First Parish Church, 5 Great Road, Bedford, MA. Both venues are wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $30, with a discounted rate of $25 for students and seniors. For tickets and more information, please visit amclass.org or call 617-254-1125.