Film fans and aficionados of the Great American Songbook, this one’s for you.
A New Westminster film scholar is offering up a special presentation at the Vancity Theatre on Sunday, March 17, I Got Rhythm: The Great American Songbook on Film.
Michael van den Bos is presenting a show of clips featuring examples from the Great American Songbook first introduced in the movies, plus samples of Broadway tunes that became iconic because of their silver screen interpretations.
The Great American Songbook is the repertoire of timeless classic songs by master songwriters such as Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George and Ira Gershwin – who wrote popular songs and jazz standards in the first half of the 20th century.
“Imbued with memorable melodies and literate lyrics, this rich canon of cosmopolitan songs have been recorded and performed by a wide range of musical artists over the decades, and continue to inspire new generations of vocalists and players to this very day,” says a write-up about the event.
The show will include clips featuring such stars as Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Fred Astaire.
And, as a special treat for music lovers, a ticket to the film show also includes a live performance by Vancouver jazz vocalist Laura Crema, who’ll perform selections from the Great American Songbook in the Vancity Theatre’s Atrium Lounge. She’ll be accompanied by Sharon Minemoto on keyboard, Conrad Good on bass and Dave Robbins on drums.
Crema’s performance starts at 7 p.m., with the movie show at 8 p.m.
The Vancouver International Film Centre’s Vancity Theatre is at 1181 Seymour St., Vancouver. See www.viff.org for information and tickets.
