Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project Honors Charles Strouse, 6/25

Fans will be applauding in praise of multiple Tony-Award winning Broadway artist Charles Strouse -- one of America's most successful musical theatre composers -- during a one-night-only gala tribute to the man who penned the scores for more than 30 stage musicals, including "Bye Bye Birdie," "Annie" and "Applause."

Strouse will be honored by The Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 25, during a program titled "Applause! Applause! A Celebration of Charles Strouse" that will be held at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, on Northwestern University's Evanston campus.

Tony-Award winning Broadway performer and North Shore native Christine Ebersole ("Grey Gardens," "42nd Street") will be headlining the event. Award-winning guest artists Craig Carnelia, Marcy Heisler and Lari White, as well as Strouse himself, will join Ebersole on stage.

Open to the public, the musical toast is the closing event of the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project presented by The Johnny Mercer Foundation and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. Strouse is being honored with the Johnny Mercer Artist of Distinction Award for his mentorship of young songwriters in the tradition of the late legendary composer.

The star-studded evening will celebrate Strouse's work and will feature Ebersole's solo performance of some of Strouse's landmark songs. Carnelia, Heisler and White -- all Mercer Project master teachers -- will combine their talents for a medley of Mercer favorites and Northwestern students will present an a capella arrangement of a Strouse classic. Strouse will perform some of his own work, sing a duet with Ebersole and talk about his Broadway career. Additionally, participants of this year's Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project will present some of their newest songs.

Charles Strouse

During his long and productive career, Strouse wrote the tunes "Put on a Happy Face," "A Lot of Livin' to Do" and "We Love You Conrad" for "Bye Bye Birdie." His song "Tomorrow" from "Annie" is another of his timeless hits. Strouse is best known to television audiences for his song "Those Were The Days" that introduced more than 200 episodes of "All In The Family," the weekly comedy that starred Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton. Strouse, who turns 83 on June 7, continues to do what he loves and does best -- write music -- and has no intention of retiring from show business. For more on Strouse, visit www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C21.