THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL HARVARD-YALE CANTATA To Take The Stage At 54 Below

54 BELOW, is set to presents a cast of Harvard and Yale grads and current students in The Eleventh Annual Harvard-Yale Cantata on Thursday, September 24 at 9:30pm. 

Team Yale will summon some of its formidable musical theater resources to fight Team Harvard in the 11th Annual Harvard-Yale Cantata. This show is a competition of Harvard alumni vs. Yale alumni, as performers and writers. Both schools have renowned songwriter alumni (Harvard: Leonard Bernstein & Alan Jay Lerner, Yale: Cole Porter & Bobby Lopez), although a lot of the appeal comes from younger alums and even current students. Yale leads this series 7-2-1. Yale won last year, in a squeaker, with Harvard nearly pulling off an upset with a perfect score in the last round. Anything can happen.

Derek Speedy is returning as Harvard Team Captain, joined by current Harvard student Blake Hullinger as musical director. Lauren Marut and Soleil Singh will return as co-captains for Yale, and James Brandfonbrener will again be the Yale musical director. More participants will be announced as the date approaches. Join producer and host Tom Toce (MAC Award-winning songwriter and eleven-time MAC nominee) for a cutthroat evening of terrific songs and wonderful performers. 

The critics have raved about past shows. As we always say, you don’t have to have gone to West Point to enjoy the Army-Navy game, and you don’t have to be affiliated with either school to love the Harvard-Yale Cantata.

The Harvard songwriters will include Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls), Leonard Bernstein (On the Town, Wonderful Town, Candide, West Side Story), Alan Jay Lerner (Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Camelot), and Bonnie Raitt (fifteen-time Grammy Award winner). 

Performers for Harvard will include Gabby Greene (class of ’27), Laura Sky Herman (Hello Dolly and Back to the Future national tours), Samuel Hines (class of ’29), Blake Hullinger (class of ’29), Isa Pena (class of ’25), Emma Rogers (class of ’25), and Derek Speedy (Lifespan of a Fact at Gloucester Stage Company and Asolo Rep).

The Yale team is still assembling its repertoire, as the Harvard team has first choice due to its loss last year. Expect Yale to look to some of its powerhouse songwriters (like Cole Porter, Maury Yeston, Adam Guettel, or Robert Lopez) to compete against Harvard’s choices. Both teams will round out the evening with songs by younger and/or unheralded songwriters. 

The Yale performers will include Alaina Anderson (national tour of Dear Evan Hansen, Mystic Pizza at Paper Mill Playhouse), Ryan Bronston (national tour of The Simon & Garfunkel Story), Malia Munley (class of 2024), Emma Rutan (class of 2022), Lula Talenfeld (class of 2025), and Isabella Walther-Meade (class of 2025).

Additional performers and songwriters will be announced as the date approaches.

“The Harvard-Yale Cantata” plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Thursday, September 18, at 9:30. There is a $19.50 (includes $4.50 in fees)-$47 (includes $7 in fees) cover charge, with a $58 (includes $8 in fees) premium ticket charge and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

More About 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent. 

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

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