Broadway legend Jerry Herman, composer-lyricist of Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles, visited campus to discuss musical theater with students as part of the three-day Jerry Herman Legacy Series, sponsored by the Pittsburgh CLO-Carnegie Mellon New Works Project and the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe I shook Jerry Herman鈥檚 hand!鈥� said Lottie Green, a second-year graduate student in playwriting. Green said her love for musical theater stems from the time her father took her to see 鈥淗ello, Dolly!鈥� when she was a child. She remembers being introduced to 鈥渢he whole magical experience of musical theater.鈥�
Herman was accompanied by Broadway veterans Jason Graae (Falsettos and HBO鈥檚 Six Feet Under), Karen Morrow (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Paige O鈥橦ara (Belle in Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast) and musical director Donald Pippin (A Chorus Line). ASCAP holds three Jerry Herman Legacy Series a year to give young people a chance to work with musical theater professionals.
Morrow, Pippin and Graae gave a series of master classes in which students performed and were critiqued. 鈥淭his is a time when you can work on technique,鈥� said senior Pilar Millhollen, who has performed with the Pittsburgh CLO.
鈥淚 think it was really time well spent; it was so individual,鈥� said Gary Kline, assistant professor of musical theater.
The five professionals capped the forum with 鈥淗ello, Jerry!鈥� a performance of Herman compositions. Herman, who accompanied himself on the piano, sang 鈥淢ame鈥� and 鈥淚 Won鈥檛 Send Roses鈥� from 鈥淢ack and Mabel鈥� to a standing ovation.
鈥淚 was somewhat familiar with Herman鈥檚 work鈥攑articularly 鈥楬ello, Dolly!鈥欌�攂ut to spend the weekend with him and learn so much from his colleagues was truly an invaluable experience,鈥� said senior Jonathan 鈥淛.D.鈥� Goldblatt.
Before closing the forum Herman presented six Carnegie Mellon students with $500 scholarships to continue their musical theater education. Recipients were Millhollen, Goldblatt, Elizabeth DeRosa, Sara Ford, Megan Hilty and Michael Scott.
