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After playing five sold-out performances in New York City as part of the 92nd Street Y’s Lyrics & Lyricists series, “Ira Without George: The Lyrics of Ira Gershwin,” the star-studded tribute to the songs of Ira Gershwin, brings its all-star cast to Los Angeles for two performances at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood on Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5.
 Created by internationally renowned critic/author/lecturer Rex Reed, this production highlights the life of lyricist Ira Gershwin, George’s older brother. Mr. Reed’s masterful and often hilarious narration follows Ira from childhood through his first song-writing projects, the tragic death of his younger brother, and the following decades of phenomenal lyric output. “Ira Without George: The Lyrics of Ira Gershwin” focuses on the songs he wrote without his brother, including collaborations with Harold Arlen, Kurt Weill, Vernon Duke, Harry Warren, and Jerome Kern.
Joining Rex Reed for the celebration are Lucie Arnaz (“Here’s Lucy,” “They’re Playing Our Song,” “The Jazz Singer”), Linda Purl (“Happy Days,” “Matlock,” “The Office”), Kurt Reichenbach (“L.A. Law,” “Minimum Wage,” “La Brea Tarpits”), and special guest star Polly Bergen (“Cape Fear,”” Follies,” “Desperate Housewives”), backed by a five-piece jazz combo, performing 27 numbers including classic standards such as “I Can’t Get Started,” “My Ship,” “Long Ago and Far Away,” and “The Man That Got Away,” mixed with lesser-known but equally impressive songs.
This is a rare opportunity for Southern Californians to hear the beloved Polly Bergen in person, along with Reed – who not only narrates but also sings one of the numbers – and the effervescent Arnaz.
By the time Ira Gershwin died at 86 in 1983, he had written more than 700 songs. The New York Times called Ira and E.Y. Harburg, his Lower East Side schoolmate and competitive  collaborator, “adventurous human rhyming machines,” who “pored over dictionaries to develop styles of light verse” and “were as competitive in their way as today’s rappers.” And “Mr. Reed’s exuberant storytelling…and an unusually strong pop-jazz quintet under the direction of Tedd Firth made the evening one of the season’s most satisfying programs.”
Performances for “Ira Without George”: Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5, at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: Early incentive: $54, $37, $27 before May 28 & 29. After May 28/29: $59, $42, $32. Full-time students with ID, and children 12 and under: $12. Seniors 62+: $46, $32, $23. Group discounts available.
For tickets, log on to www.fordtheatres.org or call the Ford Box Office at (323) 461-3673 (or 323 GO 1- FORD for non-visual media).
The Ford Amphitheater is located at 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, Hollywood , CA 90068 , just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios.
The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on-site and box dinners for evening events
may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink. The Ford is
disabled-accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request.
On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. For evening shows only, FREE non-stacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford, for evening amphitheater performances only, is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area.
This event is part of the Ford Amphitheater 2010 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series
produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater and parking information, log on to http://www.FordTheatres.org
Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/lyricsofira
See video excerpt on YouTube: http://www.kmpartists.com/ or
http://videos.wittysparks.com/id/1535830724
CALENDAR LISTING
“Ira Without George: The Lyrics of Ira Gershwin,” the star-studded tribute to the songs of Ira Gershwin, brings its all-star cast to Los Angeles for two performances at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood, Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5, at 8:00 p.m. Stars Rex Reed, Lucie Arnaz, Linda Purl, Kurt Reichenbach, and special guest star Polly Bergen, backed by a five-piece pop-jazz combo directed by Tedd Firth. Features 27 songs, both well-known and lesser-known, written with collaborators Harold Arlen, Kurt Weill, Vernon Duke, Harry Warren, and Jerome Kern. Ford Amphitheater, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, Hollywood , CA 90068. Ticket prices: Before May 28/29: $54, $37, $27. After May 28/29: $59, $42, $32. Full-time students with ID, and children 12 and under: $12. Seniors 62+: $46, $32, $23. Group discounts available.
For tickets, log on to www.fordtheatres.org or call the Ford Box Office at
(323) 461-3673 (or 323 GO 1- FORD for non-visual media).
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