Now through June 14, visit the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts
for a unique window into the creation of Tony-winning musicals

For Broadway's lyricists, composers, and orchestrators, the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards® represent the highest honor that their colleagues can bestow. This spring, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts delves into its renowned collections of theatrical manuscripts, photographs, and memorabilia to mount a special exhibition that offers a unique window into the creation of Tony-winning musicals.

Writing to Character: Songwriters & the Tony Awards spotlights the more than 70 Broadway shows that have won Tonys for either Best Musical or Best Score. Co-presented by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Tony Award Productions, this exhibition is on view from February 26, 2008 through June 14, 2008 in the Library’s Vincent Astor Gallery. Admission is free. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza in Manhattan. Click for hours and directions.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Library will also present a free public program series featuring appearances by such noted songwriters as Charles Strouse, Maury Yeston, and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (see details below).

Exploring the Collaborative Process

Through annotated scores and scripts, correspondence, costume and set designs, photographs, window cards, and original cast recordings, Writing to Character explores the collaborative process of developing a Tony Award-winning musical. The exhibition includes videotaped interviews with such musical theatre luminaries as Tony-winners Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Adam Guettel.

Moving backwards from the award ceremony, the exhibition explores the work involved in putting on a show, from the opening night performance back through rehearsals, orchestrations and arrangements, demos and money raising, writing the songs, and plotting out the show, all the way to the original concept.

Special nuggets include the following:

• The guitar on which Duncan Sheik first plucked the chords out for “Mama Who Bore Me,” and then went on to write the first four songs he composed for Spring Awakening (Best Musical, 2007).
• The conductor’s piano score from Guys and Dolls (Best Musical, 1951), with an additional verse for “Adelaide’s Lament.”
• W. H. Auden’s unused lyrics for “Song of the Quest” from Man from La Mancha (Best Musical, 1966)
• From Fiddler on the Roof (Best Musical, 1965), composer Jerry Bock’s notes and revised outlines, and star Zero Mostel’s script
• The stage manager’s promptbook for South Pacific (Best Musical, 1950), open to the song “Twin Soliloquies,” with hand-written annotations
• From How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Best Musical, 1962), Frank Loesser’s lyrics and music (lead sheet and score) for the song “Organization Man,” which eventually became “Company Way”--an illustration of the development of a song.
• Draft of the lyrics for “Ramblin’ and Rollin’” from Parade (Best Score, 1999), on loan from composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown
• A presentation book from The Wiz (Best Musical, 1975), resembling a children’s coloring book in bright, primary colors--evidence of the creative techniques adopted for fundraising.
• A 1963 issue of Seventeen magazine, which helped the creators of Hairspray (Best Musical, 2003) to “get into the mood.”
• Scores, orchestrations, and lead sheets for The Lion King (Best Musical, 1998) and Urinetown The Musical (Best Score, 2002)
• Illustrating the design development of a show, Boris Aronson’s set model for Company (Best Musical, 1971) and Jo Mielziner’s letter to the Chief Clerk of the New York City Bureau of Sewers asking for photographs of underground sewers for the famous location in Guys and Dolls for “the oldest established, permanent, floating crap game in New York.”

Writing to Character: Songwriters & the Tonys is the second collaboration between the Library and the Tonys (the first marked the 60th anniversary of the Tony Awards in 2006). The exhibition is curated by Barbara Cohen Stratyner, Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg Curator of Exhibitions at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and John Johnson, Associate Producer of Tony Award Productions.

Related Public Programs

A series of five programs will focus on Tony Award-winning musicals. The programs, produced by Alan Pally, the Manager of Public Programs at the Library for the Performing Arts, will take place in the Library’s Bruno Walter Auditorium. Admission to all programs is free and is on a first come, first served basis, except for the May 10 program. For May 10, free tickets will be distributed one per person, from 1:00 p.m. at the Library’s Lincoln Center Plaza entrance. For further information about public programs, telephone (212) 642-0142 or go to the Library’s website at www.nypl.org/lpaprograms.

Saturday, March 15, 3:00 p.m.

Screening: The Colors of My Life: The Musical Theater of Michael Stewart
By Barry Day and Francine Pascal. With Charles Busch, Melissa Errico, Jim Dale, James Naughton, Lee Roy Reams, Steve Ross, Charles Strouse

Originally presented by the Library for the Performing Arts in November 2006, this program focuses on the author of the Tony Award-winning books for Bye Bye Birdie and Hello, Dolly!. Stewart also received Tony nominations for Best Book of a Musical for Carnival, 42nd Street, Harrigan 'n Hart, I Love My Wife, and Mack & Mabel, and for Best Score for Barnum (lyrics).

Monday, March 17, 6:00 p.m.

Simple, These Affairs That Touch the Heart: Affect and Character in Musical Theatre Song
Lecture-demonstration by Maury Yeston

Mr. Yeston won Tony Awards for Best Original Score for Nine and Titanic. He was also nominated for Best Original Score for Grand Hotel (additional music).

Thursday, April 10, 6:00 p.m.

An Evening with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Ms. Ahrens and Mr. Flaherty won a Tony Award for Best Original Score for Ragtime. They were also nominated for Once on This Island.

Thursday, April 24, 6:00 p.m.

Barbara Carroll, piano/vocals

This famed pianist and singer will perform songs from Tony Award-winning shows. She appeared on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Me and Juliet.

Saturday, May 10, 3:00 p.m.

An Afternoon with Charles Strouse

Mr. Strouse won Tony Awards for Annie, Applause, and Bye Bye Birdie. He was nominated for Tonys for Charlie and Algernon, Golden Boy, Mayor, Nick & Nora, and Rags.