I Love a Piano
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin | Conceived By Ray Roderick and Michael Berkeley
I LOVE A PIANO is the celebration of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin. It follows the journey of a piano as it moves in and out of American lives from the turn of the century to the present. Along the way, the story comes to vibrant life with over sixty of Irving Berlin's most beloved songs, including classics such as 'Blue Skies,' 'There's No Business Like Show Business,' 'Puttin' on the Ritz,' 'Cheek to Cheek,' 'Always,' 'How Deep is the Ocean,' 'Anything You Can Do,' 'God Bless America,' and, of course, 'I Love a Piano.'
Alternately heartbreaking and hilarious, rousing and reflective, I LOVE A PIANO is a fitting tribute to the man Jerome Kern famously said had 'no place in American music - he is American music.'
Cast Size: No Chorus • Small (1-10). Vocal Demands: Moderate. Good For: College/University • Amateur/Community • Professional Theatre.
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About The Show
Production Info
To request the rights to make merchandise for this show email brian.sherman@rnh.com.
Fan Info:
On Friday April 6, Oxford University Press will release two new books on the life and work of Irving Berlin to join a growing library of volumes on America's most prolific songwriter. read more
What do I LOVE A PIANO, FOOTLOOSE and ALTAR BOYZ have in common?All three shows have just wound up the latest legs of national tours that have left thousand of happy audience in their wakes... read more
If your production budget is currently straining under the weight of large scale shows, you can still present the high quality entertainmentfull of the first rate words and music, humor and pathos that your audiences expect... read more
Conceived by Ray Roderick and Michael Berkeley, this evening of songs by Irving Berlin, Americas pre-eminent tunesmith, is a toe tapping, heart warming, and uplifting evening of the kind you just dont see anymore... read more
I had a, well, magical experience on Saturday night. Andy Einhorn, the indefatigable conductor and musical director of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA, invited me to sit in the orchestra pit of the Broadway Theatre during the performance. Because the pit is big enough, there is a space where, once the orchestra members are settled in their seats, a chair can be placed safely, between the bows of the violins and the constant instrument shifting of the woodwind section. Read more →
With the 9 Tony Award nominations for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA announced this morning, once again Rodgers and Hammerstein stand tall and proud among the best of Broadway.
Read more →
Read more →
As I am now based in London, where Rodgers & Hammerstein is launching our own European theatrical licensing division – R&H Theatricals Europe – I had the great pleasure of hopping down to Madrid for 24 hours in late December, to see SONRISAS…, meet the cast and equally hardworking crew, and revel in a production of the timeless musical that seems to “bloom and grow forever” – and everywhere.
Read more →
Read more →
"I LOVE A PIANO captures the joy, wit, and nostalgia of Berlin's melting pot ideal." — Colorado Drama
"You will love I LOVE A PIANO!" — Showtime Magazine
"Roderick and Berkeley have captured both the astonishing range of Berlin's musical styles and the cleverness of his simple rhymes, which makes it easy to understand why the songwriter remains a national treasure." — The Boston Globe
"If you’re looking for a shot of vibrant good spirits set to Berlin’s jazzy masterpieces, I Love a Piano is a powerhouse of delights." — EDGE Boston
Song #
Song Name
Character Name
Play
Other Versions
1
Old Fashioned Wedding
2
What Are We Going to Do With All The Jeeps?
6
What'll I Do?
7
Any Bonds Today
10
This Is The Army
13
What Do You Do With A General?
15
Suppertime
24
Let's Go Slummin'
26
We're A Couple Of Swells
27
How Deep Is The Ocean?
32
Everybody's Doin' It
33
Everybody Steps
36
When the Midnight Choo-choo Leaves For Alabam'
37
Snooky Ookums
41
Isn't It A Lovely Day
45
Let Yourself Go
47
Let's Face The Music
50
Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails
51
I'm Steppin' Out With My Baby
53
Two Cheers, Instead Of Three
I LOVE A PIANO is an enchanting new musical journey spanning seven decades of American history as seen through the perceptive and hopeful eyes of Irving Berlin—a man whom Jerome Kern described by saying "Irving Berlin has no place in American music...He is American Music!"
Using 64 of Berlin’s enduring and popular favorites, I LOVE A PIANO captures the spirit of America from the Ragtime rhythms of the early 20th century through the swinging sophistication of the 1920s and 30s. From the sentimental songs that inspired a nation during two World Wars to the innocent optimism of the 1950’s. Timeless classics, such as "White Christmas,"God Bless America,"Puttin’ On The Ritz," and "There’s No Business Like Show Business," do more than define the music of a generation, they define the music of our country.
Vocal Range of Characters:
Written By: Ray Roderick and Michael Berkeley
I LOVE A PIANO is the celebration of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin. It follows the journey of a piano as it moves in and out of American lives from the turn-of-the-century to the present. Most people have known and have had some kind of a relationship with a piano in their lifetime. A piano, however, rarely remains in one place for seventy years. It moves. It sees a lot. It brings people together during times in their lives when they are the happiest, saddest, proudest, loneliest, closest, most romantic. This is the story of one piano’s experience; of the people it touches; of the lives it shares.
I LOVE A PIANO is a tribute to the man, who, according to Jerome Kern, "...has no place in American music. He is American music.”
Playbill VIP:
MAKE YOUR OWN PLAYBILL! Playbill VIP allows you to create your very own Playbill Program. We have provided Playbill with all of the credits, song listings, musical numbers and more so that most of the work is already done for you. Just add your productions details, photos of the cast and share it with all of your friends. Learn more: www.playbillvip.com
STANDARD
- Orchestration Package (8 Books)
- 1 – PIANO-CONDUCTOR SCORE
- 1 – DRUMS (see list below)
- 1 – BASS (Doubles Tuba)
- 1 – GUITAR (Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele)
- 1 – TROMBONE
- 1 – TRUMPET
- 1 – REED (Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Flute, Piccolo)
- 1 – VIOLIN
- Rehearsal Set (12 Books)
- 10 – Libretto-Vocal Book
- 1 – Logo CD
- 2 – PIANO-CONDUCTOR SCORE
ADDITIONAL
- Libretto-Vocal 10-pack
- I LOVE A PIANO - PRE-PRODUCTION PACKAGE
- 1 – Libretto-Vocal Book
- 1 – PIANO-CONDUCTOR SCORE
3 Men
3 Women
COMMENTS
I LOVE A PIANO requires 6 triple-threat performers. While the cast retain their identities and names throughout the show, they play different characters in different time periods.
Materials Notes
Traps, Train Whistles, Castanets, Wood Block, Triangle, Siren Whistle, Police Whistle, Glock, Mark Tree, Cow Bell, Whistle, Shaker, Sand Blocks, Timp, Sleigh Bells & Chime [F]
Featured News
Oxford University Press Releases Two New Books on Irving Berlin
On Friday April 6, Oxford University Press will release two new books on the life and work of Irving Berlin to join a growing library of volumes on America's most prolific songwriter. Read More
Did You See It? R&H Shows on National Tour
What do I LOVE A PIANO, FOOTLOOSE and ALTAR BOYZ have in common?All three shows have just wound up the latest legs of national tours that have left thousand of happy audience in their wakes...
Read MoreGREAT Things Come in SMALL Packages
If your production budget is currently straining under the weight of large scale shows, you can still present the high quality entertainmentfull of the first rate words and music, humor and pathos that your audiences expect...
Read MoreMedia Rights
Promotional
1. The Promotional Video shall be recorded and shown for the sole purposes of advertising your licensed production of the Play. For such a video, R&H allows theatres to film up to 10 minutes of total footage taken at either a performance or rehearsal (i.e.: 10 minutes of scripted moments.)
2. The Promotional Video may not include more than (i) 1 minute from any song or (ii) 3 minutes, in the aggregate, of footage of copyrighted material from the Play.
3. The Promotional Video may not include any sponsorship or underwriting without the prior consent of all R&H.
4. The Promotional Video must be submitted to R&H by sending the source video and video link to editor@rnh.com.
5. The Promotional Video must include the following: "Rights courtesy of Rodgers & Hammerstein, www.rnh.com"
6. Upon approval by R&H of the Promotional Video, you agree not to make any alterations in the approved copyrighted material used therein and you agree to obtain the prior written approval of R&H for any other use of the Promotional Video not specifically granted herein.
7. Upon termination of the Term, you shall cease to have any rights to use the Promotional Video including, without limitation, in connection with a future production of the Play, and shall immediately remove its content from any and all websites on the Internet.
8. You may not use a commercially available recording.
9. Any additional promotional rights must be approved by R&H by contactingTheatre@rnh.com.
