Strike Up
the Band

Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by George S. Kaufman
Book revised in 1930 by Morrie Ryskind
New adaptation by Laurence Maslon and Ted Sperling

Ted Sperling, director and conductor
Alison Solomon, Choreographer

Get ready for another Gershwin powerhouse! This rarely performed gem kicked off a masterful trio that came to include OF THEE I SING (performed by MasterVoices in 2017) and LET ‘EM EAT CAKE (2019). Expect soaring melodies, infectious syncopation, and a healthy dose of silliness!

A pointed satire, the show’s book (by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind) cries out to us from the 1920s about America’s increasing love of money, fear of foreigners, and penchant for war. But the real point is the lush Gershwin score – the overture alone will make you swoon, plus The Man I Love, I’ve Got a Crush On You, and more. Artistic Director Ted Sperling has teamed with writer and theater historian Laurence Maslon to fashion an entirely new edition of the show, just for MasterVoices. Learn More.

Cast of Strike Up the Band

Shereen Ahmed, JOAN FLETCHER
Phillip Attmore, TIM HARPER
Victoria Clark, MRS. DRAPER
Lissa deGuzman, MISS MEADE
Claybourne Elder, G. Edgar Sloane
Christopher Fitzgerald, SPELVINI
Bryce Pinkham, JIM TOWNSEND
David Pittu, COLONEL HOLMES

DANCERS: Colin Bradbury, Fiona Huber, Masumi Iwai, Justin Keats, Cory Lingner, Derek Luscutoff

Casting by Telsey + Company | Read all Cast & Crew Bios.

Tickets, priced from $30, are on sale on August 16, 2024, and may be purchased online at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800 or in person at Carnegie Hall’s box office at 57^th and Seventh Avenue.

You’re invited to the MasterVoices Benefit!

Join us for an unforgettable evening at Carnegie Hall where the music never stops! After the performance, continue the celebration at our Benefit Reception – honoring Juliana Chen for her years of outstanding Board leadership – featuring tantalizing cocktails, light bites, and the chance to mingle with the stars of the show, your fellow patrons, and our visionary Artistic Director, Ted Sperling.

As a Benefit attendee, you’ll enjoy exclusive access to the best seats for this exceptional performance.

 

Reserve your spot today! 

Learn More

STRIKE UP THE BAND was the cause of Kaufman’s famous quip that “satire is what closes on Saturday night.” The original script did just that when it opened in Philadelphia in 1927. But that all changed in 1930 when the show reopened on Broadway, thanks to some musical shuffling (songs cut, songs added, and much more swing) plus an assist from writer Morrie Ryskind – Kaufman’s partner in crime when writing for The Marx Brothers – who described the job as “rewriting War and Peace for the Three Stooges”.

Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of both versions, Artistic Director Ted Sperling has teamed with writer and theater historian Laurence Maslon to create a new adaptation that brings out the best of both versions. That makes this a historic production, but there’s more – as with our Lady In the Dark, Babes In Toyland, and The Frogs, you may be witnessing the blueprint for future performances of this work, pared down for smaller groups with all the best parts intact.   

Artist Bios

Shereen Ahmed

Shereen Ahmed Broadway: My Fair Lady. National Tour: Eliza in My Fair Lady. Off Broadway: Franca in The Light in the Piazza (Encores!), Kate Murphey in Titanic (Encores!), Adele in A Man of No Importance (Classic Stage Company). Regional: Ellen Olenska in The Age of Innocence (Old Globe World Premiere). Concert: Iolanthe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe (Carnegie Hall). Television: “New Amsterdam,” “Beltline to Broadway,” “The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadel.” Honors: guest speaker for the United Nations, “40 Under 40” most accomplished Arab Americans in the U.S. Education: B.S. in Criminal Justice from Towson University. @shereen_ahmed

 

Lissa deGuzman

Lissa deGuzman is thrilled to be honoring Gershwin’s legacy with MasterVoices. Currently, she can be found in Oz as the Elphaba Standby in Wicked on Broadway. Other credits include Broadway: King Kong, Aladdin. National Tour: Wicked (Elphaba), Aladdin (Jasmine). Regional: Muny (Dawn in Waitress), Drury Lane (Ella in Cinderella), Cape Playhouse (Guenevere in Camelot). Endless gratitude to DGRW and my wonderful family & friends. Salamat! @lissadeguz

Alison Solomon

ALISON SOLOMON (Choreographer) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (National Tour), Grease (Bucks County Playhouse), Sweeney Todd (Signature Theatre), Sunday in the Park with George (Pasadena Playhouse), Into the Woods (Guthrie Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof (Philadelphia Orchestra), Straight White Men (Westport Country Playhouse), Swing! (ONU). Broadway Associate: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gigi, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, I Married an Angel, Sweet Charity with Sutton Foster. Commercials featuring: Lauren Froderman (SYTYCD), Gillian Murphy (ABT), Ashley Bouder (NYCB), NFL Super Bowl, Odell Beckham Jr., Eli Manning, the NY Giants, Lord & Taylor. . www.alisolomon.com @AliSolomonNY

Click here to read the press release for Strike Up the Band.
Click here to read the press release for the 2024-2025 Concert Season.