Celia Berk Debuts 'I Can’t Understand' Single for Earth Day

For Earth Day, award-winning vocalist Celia Berk has released the first commercial recording of I Can’t Understand, with lyrics by Michael Colby and music by Michele Brourman. Listen to it below!

Introduced by Berk in Michael Colby’s December 2024 show, Holiday Regards, at Urban Stages’ Winter Rhythms, the song spoke profoundly to Berk. With the music’s tracks recorded by Brourman in Los Angeles and her engineer in Nashville, and Berk recording the vocals with her engineer and Colby in New York City, they have now released the song as a single on Earth Day. 

"Thank you, Michael and Michele, for entrusting me with your song. It has been an honor. I hope this song cuts through the noise, denials and politics to encourage us to “band as one world together, to ward off such weather," said Berk.

Celia Berk, will appear at 54 Below on May 4th in a show titled “For The Record,” celebrating her albums, EPs and singles. especially her signature hidden gems by great songwriters. The show is directed by Jeff Harnar, and Music Director is Bálint Varga. The evening includes music from her current EP Project, Four Seasons of Song.  SPRING is streaming now on all the major platforms. SUMMER is set to drop June 6th. 

Michael Colby is the librettist/lyricist of such musicals as Charlotte Sweet (Drama Desk Award nomination), Tales of Tinseltown, North Atlantic (Show Business Award), Slay it With Music (off-Broadway & London), Mrs. McThing, They Chose Me!, and Ludlow Ladd. He was chief writer for the Drama Desk Award-winning New Amsterdam Theatre Company and has been a writer for The New York Festival of Song and Theatre By the Blind. He is the author of the well-received autobiographical book “The Algonquin Kid: Adventures Growing Up at New York’s Legendary Hotel.” Jay Records has released CDs of Tales of Tinseltown, Charlotte Sweet (the complete show), and Ludlow Ladd. DANGEROUS, a musical Colby co-wrote, has recently been optioned for Broadway.

Michele Brourman is an award-winning singer/songwriter whose best-known song, “My Favorite Year”, has been recorded by Michael Feinstein, Margaret Whiting, Dame Cleo Laine, and more.  With lyricist Amanda McBroom, she’s written the songs for 18 animated features for Universal Studios, including the beloved “Land Before Time” series, writing for artists like Reba McIntyre, Michael York, David Carradine, Jodi Benson, Olivia Newton-John, Donny Osmond, Corbin Bleu and a host of others. Her work has been featured on television and film and performed by countless cabaret artists, garnering numerous awards and critical acclaim. 

Photo by Helane Blumfield. Art design by Cathy Solarana for Wheelhouse Collective.