Theater News

Y Concert Will Celebrate New Harburg Stamp

The U.S. Postal Service will release a 37-cent commemorative stamp in honor of the legendary songwriter E.Y. “Yip” Harburg on April 28, and this special event will be marked by a free tribute concert that evening at the 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Avenue), from 6pm to 7:15pm.

The concert will be headlined by Michael Feinstein, Maureen McGovern, Joel Grey, Eli Wallach, and Anne Jackson. Also appearing will be Harburg’s son and biographer Ernie, and his teenage grandson Ben. The Y has had a long relationship with Harburg: He was the first guest of the “Lyrics and Lyricists” series in 1970, and he appeared there on three subsequent occasions before his death in 1981. Most recently, his work was celebrated by the L&L series in March 2004.

Harburg was born in 1896. In collaboration with such composers as Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, and Jule Styne, he wrote hundreds of songs throughout his 50-year career. His lyrics were featured in approximately two dozen Broadway shows, among them Finian’s Rainbow, Bloomer Girl, Flahooley, and Jamaica. Harburg is equally famous for his film work, including the songs for The Wizard of Oz, and for having co-written such standards as “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” and “April in Paris.”

For more information about the April 28 concert, call 212-343-9668.