SINCE 1980VOLUME 30, NUMBER 2 NOVEMBER 2008www.NYSMS.org

New York Sheet Music SocietyNewsletter

DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF CLASSIC POPULAR MUSIC

Continued on page 5

By Jerry Laird

I don’t know why I’m alwayssurprised to discover that our superstar guests turn out to be super realpeople as well. With Marni Nixon itmight be that we know so little abouther. We always associate her as thestar behind the star. That might alsobe the reason that when one meetsMarni, she really is more of a realperson than a lot of those stars whosepersona is “out there,” paraded moreto the public than Marni’s is. To beblunt: she is a star, a headliner, andshe is REAL.

First of all, get the book she andStephen Cole wrote: I Could HaveSung All Night: My Story. There’s alot more to her life than she told uslast Saturday, and more than I’mgoing to add here. (I did look her upon Google to verify some things, andhave slipped in a few facts thatweren’t part of the meeting.) Inaddition to discussing her life, I’mglad we were treated to her real

Marni Nixondubs the voice of

Marni NixonShe was our October meeting,

abetted by her co-author,Stephen Cole

talent, her glorious voiee, asshe sang “Getting to KnowYou,” “Loverly,” “I CouldHave Danced All Night,” and

others she had dubbed. She also sanga delightful Carol Hall song, that Ithink is titled “ThatWas a Long TimeAgo.” Marni Nixon’s real voice isfantastic. Alex Rybeck, who is alsofantastic in his own talent,accompanied her.

It’s interesting to learn from thisprogram (and her book…andGoogle) that she has always been onthe edge of celebrity. She is a nativeCalifornian, and as a child she didextra work in movies. She camefrom a musical family, and playedthe violin. Her work a MGM andother studios helped pay for thelessons. These contacts also led toone of her first dubbing jobs, forMargaret O’Brien’s “The SecretGarden.” (When asked if she couldsing in Hindi, she replied “Ofcourse!” This element of bravadoseems to have served her well all herlife.)

She did more movie work and actedwith the Pasadena Playhouse as she

developed her singing career. Herdubbing has given her a certainpopularity with the general public,but she is a star on her own in theclassical music field. She sang underthe direction of many famousconductors (Bernstein, SarahCaldwell, etc.) generally with the LAPhilharmonic.

Dubbing you might not know of: afew high notes for Marilyn Monroefor “Diamonds are a Girl’s FestFriend;” Deborah Kerr’s nightclubscenes in “An Affair to Remember,”and the hardest job of her career, forEthel Waters singing “I’m ComingVirginia,” for a TV special.

One of the most interesting aspectsof the afternoon was her discussionsof the various attitudes of Deborah

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If this is just the opening of the 2008-2009 NYSMS season – can youimagine what the rest of the year will be like? Our first guest was themarvelous Marni Nixon, along with Stephen Cole, co-author of her book “ICould Have Sung All Night.” Alex Rybeck was at the piano accompanyingMarni. What an informative program! You can read all about it in thisissue.

Also, Lily Koppel, a reporter from the New York Times, dropped by, andsent a photographer to take photos of our meeting. Elliott Ames and I hadmet with Lily for lunch at The Friar’s Club a few days before, to beinterviewed and to tell her about the Society. The article was supposed tohave appeared the last weekend in October, but will be in the paper the firstweekend in November. In case you miss it – we’ll reprint in the nextNewsletter. Great to have publicity for The Society – we will no longer bethe “best-kept secret in New York.”

Jane Scheckter will be previewing her Tribute to Bobby Short show atthe NYSMS on November 8th, with the Tedd Firth Trio. She will behaving a run in late November at Broadway Baby – but we will see it first!Remember to tell your friends about the Society and bring them toour meetings because once they see the remarkable programs and the spiritof the membership, they will want to join and participate.

Congratulations to Jerry Laird and Julie Wilson on their 84th birthdays. Wehad a great celebration at The Singing Experience at The Triad on Oct.22nd. After the show, I had a great big cake with lit candles brought out.However, it took Julie a long time to join Jerry who was alreadyon stage. He then called out, “Hey, Julie, by the time you getup here, we’ll be 85!”

I am on my way to the Cabaret Convention at Rose Hall whichruns from Oct. 29th - November 1st. Might find some goodsingers for our Programs, although many of them haveperformed for us already and are members!

See you at Local 802 on November 8th. Best wishes,

New YorkSheet Music SocietyA NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION

O F F I C E R S

President............................LindaAmiel Burns1st Vice Presidents.................................................................Lynn DiMenna& Sam Teicher2ndVice Presidents ...........................................................Robert Kimball & Sandy MarroneTreasurer...................................Glen Charlow56 GarrisonAve., Jersey City, NJ 07306

Membership .......Glen Charlow & Trudi MannRecording Sec. .............................Edie StokesPrograms & Special Events.......................................................Elliott Ames & Sandi DurellMarketing & Public Relations....Laura SlutskyWebsite ....................................Glen Charlow

http://www.NYSMS.orgNewsletter Editor & Publisher..........Jerry Laird

lairdstdio@optonline.net214 HighlandAve., Norwalk, CT 06853

Assistant Editor............................JoanAdamsGraphic Designer.......................Glen Charlow

designer@NYSMS.org

PAGE 2 NEW YORK SHEET MUSIC SOCIETY NOVEMBER, 2008

President’s Message...

Linda

Now you canjoin or renew your

membership OOOONNNNLLLLIIIINNNNEEEE!!!!

www.NYSMS.orgIt’s all right there, spelled out for you, in 3 easy steps!

and follow the NEW link in the maroon bar.

From our president... Linda AmielBurns:Special Theater Discounts for NYSMS Members!We know that you love a good deal, so inassociation with Marna Mintzer and MGMConsulting, NYSMS members are being offeredBroadway & Off Broadway theatre ticketdiscounts of approximately 48% or more off retail,plus arts event ticket discounts ranging from 30-50% off. For show updates and orderinginformation, call 212-935-2664 to hear what isavailable and please mention your specialMembership code #A1. Offerings changefrequently so phone the Hotline and listencarefully to the many choices currently available.

Glen Charlow, our Treasurer would like touse this space to thank all those whoread the last newsletter for the special

instructions on renewing yourmembership. It is greatly appreciated.

Send Member News to Lairdstdio@optonline.net no later than the 15th of each month for the next issue.

Save these dates:November 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 at 7PM for an Encore of 2006 MAC Award-Nominated Show

Jane Sscheckter, loves, adores and misses Bobby Short. TeddFirth (Mus Dir), Cip Jackson, Bass, Pdeter Grant, Drums. AtBroadway Baby,318 West 53rd (Between 8th and 9thAves)Reservations: 212.757-5808Discount for MAC, NYSMS andCABARET HOTLINE

Tom Santopietro - is doing a Sinatra Program for us in the Spring.His book is being launched and he’ll be at B & N on Nov. 17th.

Lily Kopell of the NYTimes is doing (or may have already done) anarticle on the NYSMS for the Metro Section (now called the NewYork Section.)

Scott Siegel’s 4th Annual Broadway cabaret festival, Oct 17th-19that Town Hall (123 W. 43rd) Visit http://www.the-townhall=nyc.org. Top Broadway talent

Elizabeth Sharland has a new book, Passionate Pilgrimages, thatshe previewed at one of those wonderful free book/entertainmentevents that Barnes & Noble has on Thursday nights.

Jerry Laird will be at Don’t Tell Mama, Nov 9th at 2 pm, and Nov12th at 6 pm. Paul Chamlin, mus dir. $15 cov, 2 dr min

Linda Amiel Burns’ next Singing Experience, “WinterWonderland” will be at the Triad on December 11th. RichardDanley will be at the piano. Call Linda for info & res: 212 315 3500.Rehearsals start Novembezr 6th ag the Nola Studios.

In Manhattan, ou can see The Singing Experiences on Cable. TimeWarner, Chan 56: RCN Chan 83, every other Sunday at 5 pm (Oct12th, Oct 26th, etc.)

Do you seek an elusive song? If so, contact Sandy Malone,smusandy@aol.com or call 856-829-6104. You can also visitSandy in New Jersey to see thousands and thousands of sheets ofmusic, most of which can be yours very reasonably.

Saint Peter’s Midtown Jazz at noon, St. Peter’s LutheranChurch, Weds at 1 pm, hosted by Ronny Whyte (54th & Lex.Suggested Donation: $7. website: http://www.ronnywhyte.cm

November 12 – Earl Okin – Singer, Pianist, Guitar, 19 – CarolFredette – Singer Andy Ezrin, Piano, 26 - Art Baron –Trombone, December 3- Alvester Garnett – Drums, MatthewParrish – Bass, Xavier Davis – Piano 10 – Lynne Jackson &Mike Palter, Singers, Piano & Bass, A Birthday Tribute toHoagy Carmichael, 17 – Christmas Show.Barbara Lea, JoyceBreach, Daryl Sherman, Alex Leonard, Boots Maleson, RonnyWhyte. 24 - Christmas Eve (No Concert) 31- New Year’s Eve(No Concert)

Rachel Stone presents "Music & Comedy!" at Community Cabareton Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 at 7pm, at 40 East 35th St., NYC. HostRachel sings some of her original Boomer Babe songs. Featuredperformers: deliciously elegant cabaret artist Valerie Kanofsky, funpiano/vocal cabaret duo Paul Chamlin & Rochelle Breyer, andcomic Jane Stroll giving neurosis a therapist's twist. NYSMSmembers get $5 off the $15 door price, or buy advance tickets for $7from Rachel or at www.rachelstonemusic.com. For moreinformation, call Rachel at 718-472-0102.

Trudi Mann’s Open Mic is now at the Butterfield Eight Restaurant,5 East 38th St. 212-679-0646) from 1 to 5. If you’re gonna sing,bring 2 copies of your music. Sign in starts around noon. No cover,but the “hat’ is passed of behalf of the musicians. $16 min.

Scott Barbarino has a website www.CabaretExchange.com withfeatures and articles, and to find out where he is currently playing.

Lynn DiMenna and Jeffrey C. Williams have resumed their weeklylive radio broadcasts, At The Ritz, on WVOF 88.5 FM from 3 to 5pm on Fridays. Better still, here’s how to hear their show anytimeyou want: go to http://www.attheritz.org/ and click on 24/7

Joe Franklin and Steve Garrin have re-opened the Joe FranklinComedy Club at 761 7th Ave. (50th St.) Call 212 541-6592 for theschedule.

David Berk is at Tutto Bene Restaurant, 102-15 Metropolitan Ave.,Forest Hills, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm. For reservations, call718-375-3331 or 718-520-9598.

Mel Miller offers five musicals for less than the price of oneBroadway ticket, with his “Musicals Tonight.” Actually, this is aLOT less than some of the prices now!!! Call 212-468-4444 forinformation.

Scot Albertson & Jerry Scott are at Le Medediterranne, a FrenchBistro every Sunday from 1-4 pm. 947 2nd Ave, betw 50th & 51st.212 755 4155. Other singers are invited to sing, also. Scott will beat the Laurie Beechman with Daryl Kojak Sat Nov 15th at 7.

The Singing Experience Cable TV Show on MNN - Time Warner:Channel 56 or RCN:Channel 111 Broadcasts are every other Sundayat 5:00PM.

Sheet Music Magazine always has wonderful tributes to The GreatAmerican Songbook. It includes sheet music for over a dozen songs.NYSMS member Ed Shanaphy (Publisher & Editor-In-Chief) makessure that each and every issue is equally wonderful. If you aren’tsubscribing, you should be. It’s $14.95 for each one-yearsubscription, Send to: Sheet Music PO Box 58629 Boulder, CO80323-8629

Member News...NOVEMBER, 2008 NEW YORK SHEET MUSIC SOCIETY PAGE 3

PAGE 4 NEW YORK SHEET MUSIC SOCIETY NOVEMBER, 2008

Laird’s Lair

Marni Nixon-Continued from page 1

I’ve been working with the Leroy Anderson family forour December program, and his daugher sent me thefollowing:

Members of the Leroy Anderson family willpresent a selection of the composer’s songswith commentary about his musicalcareer.

Anderson’s grandsons, Anders Vercelli and Lars Vercelliwill playpiano and sing, along with soprano LauraApruzzese. Anders is a graduate of Berklee College ofMusic while Lars and Laura both earned music degreesfromNew York University in the vocal performanceprogram. The songs will include Save a Kiss and Shall ITake My Heart and Go from the 1958 musicalGoldilocks as well as Anderson’s winter classic, SleighRide. Commentary will be provided by Anderson’sdaughter, Jane Anderson Vercelli.”

Imet the family when I went to the funeral service forEric Anderson last year. As any of you know whoattend the meetings, Eric never missed one. The

Anderson family is fantastic: so easy to get to know. I’mreally looking forward to the December meeting. I sawthe 1958 production of Goldilocks with Don Ameche andElaine Stritch as well as a performance recently done atthe Duplex. Anderson’s music is as fresh as when hewrote it (all of it…not just the tunes from this musical.)

Speaking of funeral services, I went to DodyGoodman’s service at St. Peter’s church inManhattan, and it was perfect for Dody. I may

have mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating.

Dody was as much of a character off the stage as she wason. And it wasn’t all an act. She was a brilliant, smartlady. During the Nineties she had some illness that reallyknocked her out, and I didn’t think she would recover. Afew months later I was on a 104 Bus in New York and alady was sitting across from me who looked just likeDody, except she looked very healthy. I kept staring ather, when suddenly that Mary Hartman, Mary Hartmanvoice squeaked out “Jjjjeeeeerrrrryy!!!” Of course it wasDody, why should I doubt her ability to recover. Thistime she might be gone for good, but I have notcompletely accepted that. Like Eric Anderson, she hasleft indelible traces in my memory, for which I am verygrateful.

Kerr, Audrey Hepburn andNatalie Wood. ( Kerr:complete acceptance andhelp. She even told thepublic who was dubbingher, although Nixon’scontract would not letNixon tell anyone {You’ll

never work in this town again if you tell!”} Wood:didn’t want her on the set or to meether. Hepburn: somewhere in themiddle. She didn’t want to bedubbed, but knew she had to andwas cooperaive.) To me Marni evenlooks a little like Kerr, and I also seean ironic resemblance to JulieAndrews.

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NOVEMBER, 2008 NEW YORK SHEET MUSIC SOCIETY PAGE 5

If you didn’t get Marni’s CD’sat the meeting, Check them out.In addition to her wonderful book, Marni Nixonalso has two great CDs of Kern and Gershwin, plusa brilliant idea for a Christmas card.

“My Christmas Card toYou” is a delightful idea.I’m not sure what theretail is (at the meeting itwas $4, so it won’t bemuch, but it is designedfor you to sign and mailto a friend. (And withthe price of regulargreeting cards, whatever

it costs wont be much of a hike in price! And it ispotentially a Christmas Classic.)

Her other 2 CDs are fabulous:Classic Kern, and Gershwin.

The beauty of these two CDsis that in addition to the veryfamiliar songs that everyoneought to know (The Song isYou, Smoke Gets in YourEyes, Long Ago and FarAway, They Didn’t BelieveMe, etc. for Kern and I GotRhythm, Embraceable You,Man I Love, Summertime,etc. she has brilliantlysearched out some of littleknown tunes by these giants. Songs by Kern that Ididn’t recognize are: I Have Seen, RagtimeRestaurant, and I’ll Follow Your Smile. Unknownto me Gershwin: well, just one: Blue, Blue, Blue.BUT you’ve never heard “You Are Love” until youhear her sing it, and one of muy favorite Kern’s is“Go, Little Boat,” which borders on beingunknown, but after you hear Marni Nixon sing it,you’ll wonder why it isn’t a standard. Too manypeople THINK they can sing Gershwin, but Nixoneven makes “Summertime” seem new, really new.You’ll love both these albums.

Singer’s Singers...

CD Reviews by Dan Singer

Marcus Goldhaber“The Moment After”Fallen Apple 837101207423www.cdbaby.com

Marcus wraps his voicemagically around 12well

known standards with a vocal stylereminiscent of two famous jazz singers/playersChet Baker and Mose Allison. The timelessballad “Like Someone In Love” (Burke/VanHeusen) sparkles. It is afforded a brand newunheard of vocal arrangement. “You’re GonnaHear From Me” the Previn masterpiece fromthe 1965 film “ Inside Daisy Clover” is cooedwith magnificent dead on emotion. Its messagerings out in a truly formidable way. There’s anastonishing “Lulu’s Back In Town” (WarrenDubin) that speeds along remarkably. “WrapYour Troubles In Dreams” (Koehler /Moll/Barris) is unusual here. Marcus adventurouslysings it ever so slowly. Thus the song takes onnew rarely brought out meanings ofmelancholy. You are bound to adore his take on1956’s “Old Cape Cod” (Rothrock/ Yakus/Jeffrey). Marcus Goldhaber has a knack ofbringing brand new meanings to old familiarstandards. It’s like hearing these songs for thevery first time.

What happened to themiddle page of my

newsletter?We just want to cut down on the expenses of theprinting of our newsletter, so you will notice it is sixpages instead of eight. Unless we find a printer whowill either donate printing or cut the price of the usualeight pages, we will use this format unless we have alot to tell you. Then we might have eight pages again.

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LOCATION – Local 802 – Musicians’ Hall at 322 West 48th Street.Flea market 12:30 – Great place to find music sheets, tapes, CD’s etc.

Program: 1:45 – 3:30PM. Non-member guest fee $10. Membership only $50 per year…quite a bargain! Nine great programs and our monthly Newsletter.

What’s Coming Up Next...

January 10, 2008Sue Matsuki, Mac Award winning performer willpresent her tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.

February 14 - David Kaufman, theauthor of "Doris Day, The Untold Storyof the Girl Next Door." Possibly MaryCleere Haran will sing a few of Doris'shits.March 14 - "The Lyrics of OscarHammerstein" - a new book edited byour guest Amy Asch and AliceHammerstein Mathias with a forwardby VP-Music Historian Robert Kimball. April 11 - Sandi Durell's 8th AnnualSongwriters Showcase - you won't wantto miss it!May & June - TBA

November 8, 2008Jane Scheckter will present her fabulous tribute toBobby Short. Pat Firth on piano. Saadi Zain onBass. Peter Grant on drums.

December 13, 2008Leroy Anderson’s 100th birthday will be celebratedby members of his family. (“Sleigh Ride,”“Goldilocks,” “The Syncopated Clock,” etc.)

...and in 2009...

“All programs are subject to change without notice. But of course weʼll always try to let you know!”

P.O. Box 564New York, NY 10008

November 8December 13January 10February 14

March 14April 11May 9June 13

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