Robert Cuccioli and Jim Dale Plan Tribute to Music Man Composer Meredith Willson | Playbill

Cabaret & Concert News Robert Cuccioli and Jim Dale Plan Tribute to Music Man Composer Meredith Willson The December 9 concert event will mark the 60th anniversary of the “76 Trombones“ musical.

Robert Cuccioli and Jim Dale will team up to salute composer Meredith Willson on the 60th anniversary of his musical classic, The Music Man, December 9 in New York City.

Dale, who won a Tony Award for his performance in the title role of the 1980 musical Barnum, will appear with Tony nominees Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) and Walter Willison (Two by Two), plus Grease’s original Sandy, Carole Demas, who will appear with her Magic Garden co-star Paula Janis.

Willison, who is writing the script, will also serve as host of the event, which is titled Here’s Love to the Music Man: A Celebration of Songwriter Meredith Willson.

They will perform alongside guest artists Cheryl Ann Allen, Aaron Lee Battle, Katie Dixon, John Drinkwater, Matthew Drinkwater, Shana Farr, Elise Godfrey, Melinda Hopkins, Joanna Rush, Cynthia Thomas, Sheila Wormer, The City Sliders (Alex Jeun, Nate Sutton, Gina Trombetta), and the barbershop quartet The Gotham Four (Anderson Daniel, Rafi Hasib, BJ Hillnick, and Richard Townsend).

Sponsored by the Ziegfeld Society, the concert is scheduled for 3 PM at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Theater at 120 West 46th Street (the former location of the High School of the Performing Arts) in Manhattan.

After The Music Man, Willson (1902–1984) had only two more musicals on Broadway, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Here’s Love. The concert will include songs from all three, plus stand-alone hits like “May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You,” “You and I,” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” The concert will also include the rarely heard “Ask Not,” Willson’s tribute to President John F. Kennedy.

The original Broadway production of The Music Man opened December 19, 1957, at the Broadway Theatre, and was named Best Musical by the Tony Awards in 1958, famously beating West Side Story. It co-starred Robert Preston and Barbara Cook.

Also planned for the Ziegfeld Society’s 2017–2018 season:

January 27, 2018: Carole Demas and Sarah Rice co-star in Thank You for Your Love, showcasing the music and lyrics of Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt (The Fantasticks).

February 24: Loni Ackerman in Fanny at the Follies: A Fanny Brice Fantasma.

March 24: Cabaret singer Steve Ross in Ridin’ High: Steve Ross’ Cole Porter Revue .

April 28: Lee Horwin in Blues, Ballads and Sin Songs: The Legend of Libby Holman.

May 19 and June 30: TBA

Full casting for these shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets to Here’s Love to the Music Man: A Celebration of Songwriter Meredith Willson cost $25 for general admission, $17 for seniors, and $12 for students. For reservations call (917) 371-5509 or visit Theziegfeldsociety.com

SEE WHAT YOUR FAVORITE STARS ARE UP TO AWAY FROM BROADWAY WITH PLAYBILL UNIVERSE!

 
Recommended
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!