A George Gershwin tribute

George GershwinSome of today’s most renowned musical theatre artists will be paying tribute to the music of George Gershwin by performing at a concert in September. Michael Ball, Kerry Ellis and Gina Beck, amongst many others, are set to celebrate his music through Summertime – An Evening of Gershwin which will be part of the Live by the Lake season at Kenwood House, north London, later in the year.

The event, hosted by Ball, will also feature David Shannon, whose credits include performing in hit musicals The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, both of which have been tremendous successes in their own rights. In terms of Gershwin, born in September 1898, the American composer was renowned for his partnership with his brother Ira, who provided the lyrics for George’s compositions.

Some of the Gershwin brothers’ greatest musical numbers include Rhapsody in Blue, Someone to Watch over Me and Porgy and Bess. The compositions spanned both popular and classical genres of music, and today the melodies are widely known. English National Ballet even produced a fully-fledged work named Strictly Gershwin in celebration of the brothers’ music, providing audiences with a completely different but wholly enjoyable show. George’s 23 year career saw the pair even work for Hollywood with George composing the music for Shall We Dance, the musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

In addition to Summertime – An Evening of Gershwin, other shows which will feature as part of the Live by the Lake series include a screening of Singin’ in the Rain, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra playing the film’s score live, taking place on 30 August. The screening will follow the departure of the West End musical for its consequent UK tour.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.