All-Singing, All-Dancing Show to Benefit 8 Performance Groups
Rehearsals for "Harry Who?" continue. The show is April 24 at Ambassador Auditorum.
“What an era!” proclaimed Lani Ridley Pedrini, the enthusiastic co-chair of the all-singing all-dancing musical “Harry Who?” to be presented at Ambassador Auditorium in two shows, a matinee and an evening performance, on April 24. Ms. Pedrini is referring to not just songs of the 1930s and the 1940′s, but specifically to music written by Harry Warren who worked with a number of lyricists to turn out hit after hit for 90 different movies from 1928 through 1981, 42 of the songs in the top-ten of the popular radio program, “Your Hit Parade”.
Lani Pedrini
Pedrini’s group, Theaters of Vision Productions and the Ambassador Foundation have linked together to bring Warren’s toe-tapping music to the stage with a cast of 161 singers and dancers and a 17-piece orchestra under the direction of co-chair, David Miller.
“This will be a community outreach production benefiting high school and college music departments in the San Gabriel Valley area and the Ambassador Foundation,” Pedrini, who has an extensive music and theater background, said. In fact, the cast members and performers are from the eight groups who will receive portions of the net proceeds from ticket sales.
Groups participating in the production are The Theaters of Vision All-Star Community Orchestra (David Miller, Director), The Tap Chicks, (Pamela Kay), Towne Singers, (Beth Richey, conductor; Lance Merrill, accompanist), Brighter Side Singers, (Matthew Byers, Director; Jon Howie, pianist), Centre Stage Productions, Inc, (Tiffini Lopez, Artistic and Music Director), Theater of Vision Dancers, Rose City Ballroom, (Christian Perry, Choreographer), and SambaLa Samba Dance Academy, (Bill Brunold, Director). Others include Sisters of Swing and several soloists.
Rehearsals began March 3 with the orchestra under the direction of David Miller working over tunes that anyone over sixty knows well, but are probably new to the high-school and college students in the orchestra. Miller, who is Instrumental Music Director at Pasadena High School,
David Miller
has led the Pasadena Unified School District’s All-District Band since 1986. At rehearsal he dug into the music: he conducted, he lead, talked, instructed and even played with the band. Overseeing it all was Lani Pedrini, a member of the highly respected Pedrini family that operated music stores in the area for many years.
Each of the groups are separately rehearsing, but will come together coached and directed by the production team that includes Miller, Pamela Kay, overall choreographer, and Charles Offenhauser, Technical Director.
Harry Warren’s early career was spent writing popular songs and some for a few Broadway shows and revues. His “I found a Million Dollar Baby” was written for a Billy Rose revue with lyrics, in part by Rose himself. But, a call from Hollywood in 1932 began his stint as a studio composer that lasted until he died in 1981.
Harry Warren, 1930
In his thorough biography about Warren, David Jenkins’ website harrywarrenmusic.com, says “1932 was a major turning point in Harry Warren’s music career. This was the year he was called on to write a score with Al Dubin for a Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler picture entitled ‘Forty Second Street’…set around their snappy tunes.” From that auspicious beginning came all the well-known tunes from Busby Berkeley’s Warner Bros. backstage stories that included “We’re in the Money”, “I Only Have Eyes for You”, and “Shuffle off to Buffalo” and “Lullaby of Broadway” among them. Moving to 20th Century Fox, Warren wrote, first for Glenn Miller movies, then Betty Grable and the wonderful Carmen Miranda, and many more. Tunes from these films included “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “At Last”, You’ll Never Know”, and for Miranda, “The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat”. At MGM, he often collaborated with Johnny Mercer where they wrote “Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” for the Judy Garland film “The Harvey Girls”. Because he wrote some 400 songs and so many were hits, the list goes on and on. But, just one more. From the 1950′s, most remember “An Affair to Remember”, the title tune which was nominated for an Academy Award, but did not win, and Dean Martin’s hit “That’s Amore”. With music like this, the show “Harry Who?” is bound to be terrific.
“Harry Who?” at the Ambassador Auditorium will be presented two times on Saturday, April 24—at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $15 to $40 and can be ordered by calling (800) 595-4849 or visiting www.harrywho.org.
By Bill Peters
Rehearsal Photos by Marlene Gordon
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