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Pasadena Playhouse, The State Theater of California, announces the January 10, 2021 PlayhouseLive Online Opening Night of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, a virtual musical revue honoring the genius responsible for the Broadway classics Hello, Dolly!; Mame; La Cage aux Folles and many more. The Online Opening Night will be a livestreamed event with special guests Bernadette Peters and David Hyde Pierce.
The production, conceived and music directed by Andy Einhorn (Music Director and Music Supervisor, Broadway’s Hello, Dolly!; Carousel, among others), marks the first theatrical tribute to Jerry Herman by a professional theater company since the passing of this Tony Award-winning Broadway legend one year ago.
The PlayhouseLive production of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman features Andy Einhorn on the piano with performances by Ashley Blanchet (Broadway: Frozen), Nick Christopher (Broadway: Hamilton), Lesli Margherita (Broadway: Matilda The Musical), Andrea Ross (‘Maria’ in The Sound of Music National Tour) and Ryan Vona (Broadway: Once). Andy Einhorn’s many Broadway credits include his recent conducting of Tony Award winner Bette Midler in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! for which he served as music director.
You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman
Jerry Herman gifted us with some of the most beloved showtunes in the history of musical theater and popular song. In 1964, the cast recording of Hello, Dolly! was number one on the Billboard Pop Album Chart for seven weeks and was the top album on the Year-End Chart. In addition, the song “Hello, Dolly!” reached number one on the Pop Chart that same year, replacing the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” in the number one spot that it had held for 14 weeks.
Jerry’s works sparked joy, inspired optimism, and celebrated life to its fullest. You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman is a delightful and stirring homage to Jerry’s artistry and legacy, featuring songs from all of Herman’s musicals, highlighting his craftsman approach to lyrics and melodies. In You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, Andy Einhorn explores themes that are commonly found in Herman’s work: love, family, home, and optimism, through such songs as “Time Heals Everything,” “I Am What I Am,” “It’s Today” and “It Only Takes a Moment.”
“These themes are who Jerry Herman was as both an artist and as a man,” comments Einhorn. “Jerry Herman was joy personified. He wrote shows that sparked joy, brought out positivity in the face of adversity, granted his characters second chances, and reinforced the love of family and life. He left a piece of himself in everything he wrote, and may these treasures bring some joy and comfort to everyone during these uncertain and challenging times.”
Pasadena Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman says, “Jerry Herman’s songs have an optimism and joy that can’t be rivaled. After the challenges we’ve all faced over the past few months, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year. This love letter to Jerry is an entertaining celebration of his life and exploration of his legacy.”
The Online Opening Night of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman can be viewed on PlayhouseLive on January 10, 2021 at 5 p.m. PST. This will be a livestreamed event with a special pre-show tribute to Jerry Herman featuring Bernadette Peters, David Hyde Pierce, You I Like creator Andy Einhorn and Pasadena Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman. Tickets to view this event are $29.99 and are available now through PlayhouseLive.org
Video-on-demand streaming of You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman will be available to rent on PlayhouseLive for $24.99 from January 11 through February 7. After the initial purchase through the website, You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman can be watched on any of the PlayhouseLive apps including Apple OS, Android OS, Roku, FireTV and more. Closed captioning will be available in both English and Spanish.
About Jerry Herman
Jerry Herman was the only composer/lyricist in history to have three Broadway musicals run more than 1,500 performances: Hello, Dolly!; Mame; and La Cage aux Folles. He first burst upon the Broadway scene with Milk and Honey in 1961, followed by Hello, Dolly! (1964); Mame (1966); Dear World (1969); Mack and Mabel (1974); The Grand Tour (1979); and La Cage aux Folles (1983). He contributed songs to A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine (1980) and a revue of his life’s work, Jerry’s Girls, played on Broadway and in every major American city. In 1996, Herman wrote the music and lyrics for the CBS television special “Mrs. Santa Claus.”
Herman is the recipient of numerous awards including Tony Awards, Grammy Awards, Drama Desk, Variety and the Theatre Hall of Fame Award, and was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was most proud of having written songs that could have lives of their own outside of their shows.
About PlayhouseLive
PlayhouseLive is a first-of-its-kind digital streaming platform for nonprofit theaters. Powered by Pasadena Playhouse, PlayhouseLive’s “theater on demand” hosts fully realized cinema-quality productions filmed in high definition on stage specifically for the digital platform. It takes online theatrical performances beyond Zoom readings and interpretations to full scale productions for viewers around the world to enjoy. Distribution channels include a standalone website, iPhone and Android apps, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Chromecast, and AirPlay, among others.
In addition to theater on demand, PlayhouseLive programming will include staged readings, and cabarets, as well as original series, documentaries, and theater classes. It is a home for a wide array of theatrical voices through new and revisited work. Additional information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, are available at www.playhouselive.org.
