'I Love A Piano' Celebrating Irving Berlin

I LOVE A PIANO, IRVING BERLIN'S MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH

SEVEN DECADES AS AMERICA'S GREATEST TUNESMITH, TO OPEN A

TWO-WEEK RUN JANUARY 23-FEBRUARY 3 AT PARKER PLAYHOUSE.  

A new production of Irving Berlin's I LOVE A PIANO channeling all the great hits by America's acclaimed master of popular music, will be directed by Ray Roderick when the revue opens a two-week run, Wednesday, January 23 through Sunday, February 3, at the Parker Playhouse.

For Roderick, I LOVE A PIANO, which he co-wrote with Michael Berkely, will be a return to a work he has mentored since having first directed it for successful runs at the Denver Auditorium and, locally, during the 2002-03 season at Lou Tyrell's Florida Stage. Earlier, Roderick was Associate Director to director Mike Ockrent's production of "A Christmas Carol" at Madison Square Garden, and to director Susan Stroman for the Broadway revival of "The Music Man," which he was later to direct for the North American tour.

Having recently been performed at Boston's Cutler Majestic Theater, I LOVE A PIANO will feature an ensemble cast of eight versatile performers, including Mark Baratelli, Darcie Bender, Summer Broyhill, Joanna Hill, Johnnie Moore, Sean Schwebke, Karla Shook and Jason Weitkamp. The revue is a virtual cavalcade of top tunes to which Irving Berlin committed his life from his early beginnings in the 1910s through most of the 20^{th century.}

^{During that time, he wrote nearly 1,000 songs, scores for 21 Broadway shows and 17 musicals, and created such all time standard American "anthems" as "White Christmas," "God Bless America," and "There's No Business Like Show Business." Directed and choreographed by Roderick, I LOVE A PIANO is only one of two shows authorized to use the Berlin catalog. Culled from the huge output, the revue will feature more than 60 songs, all of them centered around an upright piano which carries the plot through the many eras that Berlin gave the world his unforgettable music.}

 ^{I LOVE A PIANO, produced by Lawrence Toppall, Martin Markinson and Richard Willis, will play Wednesday, January 23 through Sunday, February 3 at the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th Street, Ft. Lauderdale. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 P.M. with matinees Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 P.M. Tickets at $43.50; groups $38.50, are available at the Parker Playhouse (954) 462-0222; via www.parkerplayhouse.com or www.ILoveAPianoTheMusical.com.}

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