Ben Sears and Brad Conner
Writings
Home
Biography
Calendar
CDs
lectures
Photos
alexander
WWI Centenary
American Classics
Smart Set
Reviews
Writings
Links
Contact

Ben & Brad - Lectures and Demonstrations

Ben & Brad give popular lecture/demonstrations on the songwriters, singers, films, and the world of the Great American Songbook. These entertaining programs blend live performance, recordings, and film clips to create a lively and informative presentation.

Great Songwriters in Hollywood

  • Irving Berlin (with clips from There's No Business Like Show Business)
  • Herb Nacio Brown & Arthur Freed (featuring Singin' in the Rain, and The Broadway Melody)
  • George & Ira Gershwin (featuring They Can't Take That Away From Me)
  • Jerome Kern (songs from Show Boat and others)
  • Cole Porter (including Kiss Me Kate and his original Hollywood scores)
  • Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (featuring Love Me Tonight)
  • Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (their Broadway hits on film, including Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music)
  • Harry Warren and the Busby Berkeley Films (42nd Street and more)

Songwriter Series

  • Harold Arlen ("Blues in the Night," "Stormy Weather")
  • Irving Berlin (Alexander's Ragtime Band, Annie Get Your Gun, and the Music Box Revues)
  • Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story)
  • Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof)
  • Dorothy Fields ("On the Sunny Side of the Street")
  • George & Ira Gershwin (their Broadway and Hollywood hits for Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, and others)
  • E.Y. Harburg (The Wizard of Oz)
  • Jerry Herman (Hello Dolly and Mame)
  • John Kander & Fred Ebb (Cabaret and Chicago)
  • Jerome Kern (Show Boat, the Princess Theatre shows, and more)
  • Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe (My Fair Lady)
  • Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls)
  • Cole Porter (Kiss Me Kate and shows for Ethel Merman)
  • Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart ("Manhattan" and classic Broadway scores)
  • Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Oklahoma!, Carousel, and the other beloved Broadway shows
  • Stephen Sondheim ("Send in the Clowns")
  • Jule Styne (Funny Girl)

Film Stars

  • Julie Andrews
  • Fred Astaire
  • Bing Crosby
  • Alice Faye
  • Judy Garland
  • Ethel Merman
  • Dick Powell
  • Ginger Rogers
  • The Teaming of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

Classic Hollywood Musicals

  • An American In Paris
  • The Band Wagon
  • Singin' in the Rain
  • The Musical Films of Walt Disney

Back to Top