BCCM to Present 'The Songs of Harold Arlen,' Begin. 5/5

BAYOU CITY CONCERT MUSICALS continues its popular cabaret series with Let's Fall in Love: The Songs of Harold Arlen, on three consecutive Monday nights in May, beginning Monday, May 5, and continuing on May 12 and May 19 at 7:30 p.m. The evening of song will again be presented at the Performance Centre of the Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main between Holman and Berry Street, in the heart of Midtown. (Entrance to The Centre is located on the corner of Fannin and Berry directly behind the theatre and has convenient free parking, courtesy of the Houston Community College.)

Harold Arlen's name can easily fill an entire chapter in The Great American Songbook. Considered one of the icons of American popular music by singers and musicians, Arlen is less well known among the general public. Perhaps it is because of the breath of his talent and repertoire: It's hard to pin down a Harold Arlen style. His songs range from blusey Stormy Weather to the fanciful If I Only Had A Brain. If I Only Had A Brain was written for his masterful score for The Wizard of Oz. The big hit song from that movie was named the Greatest Popular Song of the Twentieth Century. It is, of course, Over The Rainbow.

BCCM's cabaret evening will feature all those songs and many more from this master of American popular song. The cabaret audience will hear Houston's most talented musical theatre performers sing many of Arlen's classics, including Get Happy, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Paper Moon, and Let's Fall in Love. One of the most popular features of the BCCM cabaret evening is BCCM Artistic Director Paul Hope's commentary about the life of the composer and the history of his music.

Tickets are $25.00 and are available by calling 713-465-6484 or on line at bayoucityconcertmusicals.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, but reservations are recommended.