Synopsis • Reviews • Pictures • Performance Details
Synopsis
According to popular myth, the name Tin Pan Alley was coined early in the 20th century by a newspaper reporter. After a stroll down 28th Street, accompanied by the raucus sounds of pianos trying out potential tunes, he declared that the sound was like a bunch of people banging on tin plates. The moniker took root, and the name "Tin Pan Alley" became synonymous with the extraordinary boom of American popular song in the beginning of the century.
It is against that backdrop that this show asks the question: "Why?" Why did this explosion of creative energy happen at this particular moment in history – and why did it end? The characters: The Publisher, The Songwriter, The Impresario, The Star, and The Consumer, all have their particular spin on the answer.
The score consists of almost 40 of the most famous songs of the last 100 years: Shine On Harvest Moon, Harrigan, Alexander's Ragtime Band, You Made Me Love You, Sweet Georgia Brown, Over There, Let's Misbehave, Tea for Two, It Had To Be You, and Happy Days Are Here Again are just some of the tunes.
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Reviews
"Tin Pan Alley musical is like a homecoming"
"Stamford Theatre Works closes its season with a charming little revue, which pays tribute to Tin Pan Alley, offering up a history of this country's pop music from 1890 to 1930…Mostly the music tells the story, with occasional appropriate commentary sandwiched between songs. But this is not a heavy-handed treatment. David Bishop and Shawn Churchman depict the era with a light and playful touch. Yet they have mined the material conscientiously, with an astounding number of tunes from such composers as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George M. Cohan, and that's just for starters…One is immediately caught up in the spirit, with four players on four pianos, banging out a Scott Joplin rag, but soon the singing takes over and the cast becomes an effective ensemble, harmonizing beautifully in several numbers…the hard-working performers, under the Bishop/Churchman guidance, do justice to this piece of history – and provide a good evening's entertainment as well."
Irene Backalenick, Connecticut Post
"Folks will keep humming as they leave the theatre and for days later."
Abby Luby, The Stamford Advocate
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Details
The cast consists of five men and two women. All men must play the piano very well, and the musical director plays from the stage as well.
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