Dr. Wyatt is a Steinway Artist, a Smithsonian Institution Lecturer, a specialist in American music, and an engaging raconteur. His program will celebrate the lives and works of Broadway greats George and Ira Gershwin and allow participants to experience the music, magic and theatrical productions of these Broadway superstars. When asked to comment Wyatt said, "I remember falling in love with "Someone to Watch Over Me," a tune used as the theme song for The Roaring Twenties, a short-lived TV show from the early 1960s. Dorothy Provine seduced me with her good looks and lusty voice, and it was years later that I discovered that this was a Gershwin product from the actual 'Roaring Twenties.' I'm still in love with her, the song and the Gershwin brothers."
While the Gershwin brothers had stellar careers as individuals, they will always be remembered as the songwriting team whose works were synonymous with the sounds and style of what F. Scott Fitzgerald coined the “Jazz Age.” From their first hit tune in 1918, “The Real American Folk Song (Is a Rag),” along with immortal blockbusters like “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You” and “The Man I Love,” to the heart-wrenching “Love Is Here to Stay,” a song left unfinished by George’s death in July 1937, the brother’s legacy of over two dozen scores for Broadway and Hollywood helped establish musical comedy as an American art form.
Ira was known as “The Jeweler,” a songsmith whose exquisite craftsmanship allowed him to embed a seamless mosaic of words within the contour of a melodic line. And when his brother George sat at the piano, an endless assortment of tunes came, in his own words, “dripping from his fingers.” Their relationship was unique among songwriting teams. As siblings, best friends and business associates, they chose to live together for their entire lives, whether in the same home, in adjoining apartments or directly across the street; only a moment was needed to join their collective genius. This unique energy generated by mutual love and respect but also by a disparate set of talents, sparked a distinctive style of music which propelled a generation of listeners through the “Jazz Age” while later soothing them during the Great Depression.
Dr. Wyatt’s lecture spans the lives of the Gershwin brothers, from their simple roots, through their Tin Pan Alley apprenticeship to the glory years which proved to be so very short. He will include original cast recordings, film clips, interviews, correspondence and other primary materials furnished by The Library of Congress, the Museum of the City of New York and the Rare Documents Collection at the New York Public Library. Participants will learn about the lives of these two icons of the American musical, experience their greatest productions, and listen to their music which is as poignant and beloved now as it was during their lifetimes.
