Seminal composer and pianist George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, September 26, 1898. After providing additional music and featured songs in Ladies First, Good Morning Judge, and The Lady in Red, Gershwin made his Broadway debut as a composer on May 26, 1919, providing music for La, La, Lucille. Gershwin’s work would go on to become a mainstay of the Broadway stage for the 20th and 21st centuries creating oft-revived works including Porgy and Bess, Nice Work if You Can Get It, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Of Thee I Sing, and more. In addition to his theatre work, he also saw success in film and on recordings, creating pieces such as “Swanee,” "Rhapsody in Blue," music for the film Shall We Dance with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and many others.
Flip through photos of Gershwin’s work onstage in the 21st Century Below:
