Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration was a concert special held in his honor at Carnegie Hall on May 11, 1988.[1] It was aired on CBS television two weeks later, on May 27.[2] At the 40th annual Emmy Awards later that summer, on August 28, it won two Emmys for outstanding variety, music or comedy program. Berlin himself did not attend, as he had retired from public life.[3]
The gala concert was sponsored by Carnegie Hall and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), of which Berlin was a founding member.[1] A number of countries also observed Berlin's birthday, including Great Britain, and Viking Press subsequently published an unauthorized biography of Berlin by Laurence Bergreen.[4][5] The show was produced by Don Mischer, who produces the Tony Award telecasts.[5]
Performances[]
Among the dozens of performers were Frank Sinatra, Isaac Stern,[6] Willie Nelson, Michael Feinstein, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Billy Eckstine, Marilyn Horne, Jerome Robbins, Tommy Tune, and fellow composer Morton Gould, president of ASCAP. Proceeds from the benefit went to ASCAP and Carnegie Hall.[7]
Leonard Bernstein performed "My Twelve Tone Melody", a song he wrote in tribute to Berlin.[8]
The hosts included Shirley MacLaine, Walter Cronkite,[9] Jerome Robbins, and Morton Gould,[10] with the following list including most of the artists and songs performed during the 90 + minute TV special:[11][12]
- Shirley MacLaine: "Let Me Sing & I'm Happy"[13][14]
- Nell Carter and Michael Feinstein: "Everybody Step", "I Love A Piano", "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
- Jerry Orbach and Maureen McGovern: "Play A Simple Melody", "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody", "The Song Is Ended", 'Easter Parade'
- Willie Nelson: "Blue Skies"[15]
- Madeline Kahn: "You'd Be Surprised"[16]
- Ray Charles: "How Deep Is The Ocean?", "What'll I Do?"[17]
- Joe Williams, Billy Eckstine and Diane Schuur: "Steppin' Out with My Baby", "Marie", "Cheek To Cheek", "Say It With Music"
- Bea Arthur, Barry Bostwick and Maryann Plunkett: "It's a Lovely Day Today", "The Hostess With the Mostess", and a medley of songs from the film, Annie Get Your Gun[18]
- Rosemary Clooney: "Count Your Blessings", "White Christmas"[19]
- Tony Bennett: "Shaking the Blues Away"[20]
- Tommy Tune: "Puttin' On The Ritz"
- Garrison Keillor: recites "All Alone"
- Natalie Cole: "Supper Time"[21]
- Frank Sinatra: "Always", "When I Lost You"[22]
- The U.S. Army Chorus with the Boys and Girl Scouts: "This Is The Army", "This Is A Great Country"[23]
- Marilyn Horne: "God Bless America"[24]
- Finale: Entire cast performing "There's No Business Like Show Business"[25]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b "Irving Berlin, Absent, Is Much the Star of Carnegie Tribute", New York Times, May 12, 1988
- ^ "IRVING BERLIN'S 100th Birthday Celebration", Library of Congress
- ^ "In 1988, Top Artists Celebrated Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday With an Emmy-Winning Special", Billboard, August 27, 2019
- ^ As Thousands Cheer: The Life Of Irving Berlin, Amazon books
- ^ a b "Happy 100th, Irving Berlin", UPI, May 6, 1988
- ^ Isaac Stern
- ^ "IRVING BERLIN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION", Thomas Film Classics
- ^ "Works: Vocal: My Twelve-Tone Melody (1988)". LeonardBernstein.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ Walter Cronkite
- ^ Morton Gould
- ^ "Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration", IMDB
- ^ "IRVING BERLIN 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION - DVD", The Film Collectors Society of America
- ^ Shirley MacLaine
- ^ Shirley MacLaine
- ^ Willie Nelson
- ^ Madeline Kahn
- ^ Ray Charles
- ^ Bea Arthur
- ^ Rosemary Clooney
- ^ Tony Bennett
- ^ Natalie Cole
- ^ Frank Sinatra
- ^ Army chorus
- ^ Marilyn Horne
- ^ Finale
- 1988 in New York City
- 1988 television specials
- 1980s in Manhattan
- CBS television specials
- Carnegie Hall
- Emmy Award winners
- Irving Berlin
- May 1988 events in the United States