UMS Concert Program, Sunday 24 September 2000: Puttin' On The Ritz --

NEW DIRECTIONS NEW HEIGHTS
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY SEASON OPENING GALA DINNER
SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2000
6:30 PM DINNER
THE MICHIGAN LEAGUE BALLROOM
7:30 PM
CABARET PERFORMANCE MARY CLEERE HARAN
MENU
APPETIZER
VIDALIA ONION CONFIT
ENTREE
BAKED CHICKEN WITH CAPERBERRY GREMOLATA
& GORGONZOLA POLENTA
VEGETARIAN ENTREE
SPINACH & ARTICHOKE PIE WITH TOMATO COULIS
ASPARAGUS CITRUS SALAD
DESSERT
LEMON BUTTERMILK PUDDING CAKE WITH RASPBERRY COULIS
A recipe from the UMS cookbook BRAVO!
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
CABARET PERFORMANCE
Mary Cleere Haran, Cabaret Singer
with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Piano Line Milliman, Bass
THE MEMORY OF ALL THAT: GERSHWIN AND HIS SONGS
One of the most renowned singers of "The Great American Songbook," Mary Cleere Haran has garnered rave reviews from audiences and critics alike for her witty, sophisticated cabaret performances. The San Francisco native, who has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney, evokes the charm, style and wit of 1930s movie stars like Myrna Low, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. She has performed at some of the most prominent venues in the country, including Lincoln Center, Rainbow & Stars, Michael's Pub, The Ballroom, The Russian Tea Room, The Oak Room at New York's Algonquin Hotel, and The Cinegrille in Los Angeles.
Ms. Haran and acclaimed musical director Sir Richard Rodney Bennett appeared last year at Joe's Pub at New York's Public Theater as part of the Fred Astaire Centennial Celebration and joined forces once again in Gershwin: The Memory of All That, a dazzling salute to the legendary composer at the World Financial Center in New York, London's Pizza on the Park and at numerous venues throughout the US.
It was Haran's love affair with classic movies of the 1930s and 1940s, most notably the black and white Warner Bros, films bursting with brassy, sassy Gold Diggers, Jazz Age Gershwin music and spirited Harry WarrenAl Dubin tunes, that sparked her love affair with American popular song. She cites Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee as primary sources of inspiration, but Hollywood's Golden Age has made an indelible impression on Ms. Haran's singing. Given her affinity for these silver screen gems, it's no surprise that Stephen Holden of The New York Times declared that Ms. Haran "sounds like a mid1940s Doris Day,
continued on back panel
The evening's entertainment is made possible through the generous support of
PFIZER GLOBAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT; ANN ARBOR LABORATORIES
looks like Myrna Loy crossed with Rita Hayworth and writes her own brilliant patter in which she sounds like a warm?hearted contemporary version of Dorothy Parker."
Although AAs. Haran's first love is club singing, she also boasts an impressive list of theater credits. She made her Broadway debut in The 1940s Radio Hour and appeared offBroadway in Manhattan Music, Swingtime Canteen and Heebiejeebies.
In addition to her illustrious performing career, Ms. Haran is a respected writer and researcher who has brought her talents to numerous PBS specials, including Remembering Bing: Irving Berlin's America; When We Were Young: The Lives of Child Movie Stars; Satchmo, a documentary about Louis Armstrong; and Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey. She was one of a select group asked to write on Sinatra's death in The New York Times. She is currently writing a show about the stars, screenwriters and directors of Hollywood's 1930s screwball comedies.
Richard Rodney Bennett is a composer and singerpianist. His classical works include three symphonies, three fulllength operas, and concertos for a full range of orchestral instruments. He has written the scores for over fifty films with the most recent being Enchanted April and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
As a pianist and arranger he has worked with Cleo Laine, Chris Connor, Mark Murphy, Ann Hampton Callaway, Mary Cleere Haran, Maria Ewing and Carol Sloane. As a solo jazz pianist and singer he has appeared frequently in American clubs and has given hundreds of concerts around the globe.
Tonight's performance marks Mary Cleere Haran's, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's, and Line Milliman's debuts under UMS auspices.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY 2000 ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Dody Viola, Chair
Robert Morris, ViceChair
Sara Frank, SecretaryTreasurer
Martha Ause
Barbara Bach
Lois Baru
Kathleen Benlon
Victoria Buckler
Barbara Busch
Phil Cole
Patrick Conlin
Elly Rose Cooper
Nita Cox
Mary Ann Daane
Norma Davis
Sally Stegeman DiCarlo
Lori Director
Betty Edman
Michael Endres
Nancy Ferrario
Penny Fischer
Anne Glendon
Maryanna Graves
Linda Greene
Karen Gundersen
Jadon Hartsuff
Nina E. Hauser
Debbie Herbert
Mercy Kasle Steve Kasle Anne Kloack Maxine Larrouy Beth LaVoie Stephanie Lord Esther Martin Ingrid Merikoski Ernest Merlanli Jeanne Merlanti Candice Mitchell Nancy Niehoff Mary Pittman leva Rasmussen Penny Schreiber Sue Schroeder Meg Kennedy Shaw Morrine Silverman Maria Simonte Lorelta Skewes Cynny Spencer Louise Townley Bryan Ungard Suzette Ungard Wendy Woods
Seoson Opening Dinner Committee Member