NYU Steinhardt Presents ON THE TOWN Concert For Bernstein Centennial Celebration

NYU Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts will present a concert version of On the Town as part of the 100th birthday global celebration of world-renowned composer Leonard Bernstein. The collaboration between NYUO1, one of the premier orchestras of New York University, and Steinhardt's Program in Vocal Performance will take place April 28 at 8 p.m. at NYU Skirball Center (free and open to the public).

The show features lyrics and book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on Jerome Robbins' idea for his 1944 ballet Fancy Free, and music by Leonard Bernstein. Director of Vocal Performance Ana Flavia Zuim conducts. Narration will be provided by former NYU Steinhardt student Jay Armstrong Johnson, who appeared as Chip in On the Town on Broadway.

On the Town-which originally opened on Broadway in 1944 and has since enjoyed a number of major revivals-incorporates dance and music to tell the story of American sailors on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City during World War II. Among the show's enduring classics are the songs "New York, New York," "Lonely Town," and "I Can Cook Too".

"Bernstein is an icon in musical theater. We wanted to celebrate his remarkable legacy and recognize his astounding impact on the world of music. On the Town is the perfect show as it allows our students to experience Bernstein's intricate compositions; he shapes the vocal styles in unique and careful ways according to the character and he'll often go into unconventional rhythms to tell the story," said Ana Flavia Zuim.

NYU's production of On the Town takes place on April 28 at 8 p.m. at NYU Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Place.

About NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, established in 1925, instructs over 1,600 students majoring in music and performing arts programs. Music and Performing Arts Professions serves as NYU's school of music and is a major research and practice center in music performance, music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, songwriting, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).

About the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (@nyusteinhardt)

Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development prepares students for careers in the arts, education, health, media, and psychology. Since its founding in 1890, the Steinhardt School's mission has been to expand human capacity through public service, global collaboration, research, scholarship, and practice. To learn more about NYU Steinhardt, visit steinhardt.nyu.edu.