Many think of Ira Gershwin solely as the wordsmith half of the immensely successful songwriting team he formed with his brother George. Yet before that partnership, and then again after George’s untimely death, Ira Gershwin wrote with many of America’s leading composers, producing hit after hit after hit. It was these songs that were highlighted in May’s warm-spirited, tuneful and entertaining chapter in the 92^nd Street Y’s Lyrics & Lyricists series. Critic Rex Reed, serving as the program’s artistic director/host/
scriptwriter, presented an informative and charming look into Ira Gershwin’s collaborations with such composers as Kurt Weill (“My Ship” and “Saga of Jenny,” from Lady in the Dark), Vernon Duke (“I Can’t Get Started,” from Ziegfeld Follies of 1936), Jerome Kern (“Long Ago and Far Away”) and – writing with Harold Arlen – the Judy Garland classic from A Star is Born, “The Man That Got Away.”

Refreshingly straightforward, tuneful performances were provided by Broadway stars Tom Wopat and Lucie Arnaz, stage and cabaret performer Linda Purl, the fine jazz singer Kurt Reichenbach, and special guest Polly Bergen, who, despite occasional unsteadiness, can still belt with the best.

Star of the evening turned out to be Rex Reed himself: knowledgeable and witty, but also a warm singer as well, soloing on “Changing My Tune,” a song with music by George Gershwin that was uncovered after his death. Music direction, spirited and on target, was provided by a quintet led by Tedd Firth.

Peter Haas
Cabaret Scenes
May 10, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org