NEW YORK - The York Theatre Company Hosts a Spring Gala. The stage at The York Theatre Company Gala. Photo by Sora VernikoffOn Monday evening, April 15th, 2024, I was excited to cover The York Theatre Company Gala with a One-Night-Only Concert and reception featuring Liz Callaway and her longtime musical director, Alex Rybeck.The concert, Liz Callaway: Their Story Goes On: A Musical Celebration of the York, and the reception were held at The Theater at St. Jeans, the temporary home of The York, located at 150 E. 76th Street. Joseph Haywood, York’s Associate Producing Director, directed the show.Jim Morgan, York’s Producing Artistic Director, shared, “We are delighted to welcome Liz Callaway back to the York. Liz is a longtime friend of the company and made her York debut in 1987 with Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little, co-starring John Jellison. In 2020, she appeared in An Evening with Sheldon Harnick and performed with us in several Oscar Hammerstein Galas and developmental readings. With the estimable Alex Rybeck at the piano, Their Story Goes On promises to be a spectacular evening, covering Liz’s relationship with all sorts of writers who have been associated with the York, including Sondheim, Ahrens, and Flaherty, Schwartz, Maltby, Shire and many more.”And indeed, it was a fabulous performance by the incomparable Liz Callaway! I had never seen Ms. Callaway perform, but it was a joy to experience. Ms. Callaway’s performance was a story about her theatrical experiences and her relationship with The York, for which she became an honorary Board Member at the end of the performance.Ms. Callaway’s performance was solid, vibrant, and highly professional. She was comfortable with the audience and exhibited awe-inspiring confidence.Along with a slide show accompanying her performance, here are her song choices.It’s Today (Herman) / Celebration (Jones and Schmidt)Sign of the TimesYou Don’t Own Me (Lesley Gore) Alan Menken:Somewhere That’s Green (Ashman / Menken)What More Do I Need (Sondheim)Marry Me a Little (Sondheim)Old Friend (Cryer & Ford)Will He Like Me? (Bock & Harnick)Dog Song (Ahrens and Flaherty)Journey to the Past (Ahrens and Flaherty)Soon it’s Gonna Rain (Jones and Schmidt)Simple Little Things (Jones and Schmidt)MuftisNight Song (Strouse and Adams)One of the Beautiful People (Doug Cohen)Room (Shaina Taub)Starting Here, Starting Now into Stop Time (Maltby and Shire)There’s Nothing Like It (Maltby and Shire)With So Little to Be Sure (Sondheim)The Story Goes On (Maltby and Shire)I’m Still Here PARODAfter the performance, we were delighted by a buffet reception with two great cakes that reminded us of this special occasion. Congratulations to Liz Callaway at The York Theatre Company Gala. Photo by Sora Vernikoff The New York Theatre Company celebrity cake at The York Theatre Company Gala. Photo by Sora VernikoffThis was a truly celebratory evening punctuated in a cake format, as again identified by these two cake sheets. The New York Theatre Company celebrity cakes at The York Theatre Company Gala. Photo by Sora VernikoffI’m so grateful that I now know about The York Theatre Company. It is the only theatre in New York City and one of the few in the world dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving notable shows from the past. To learn more about The York Theatre Company, click HERE to discover the joy of new musicals for a significantly lightened heart.Readers may also enjoy reading New York Common Pantry: Fill the Bag, NY Fashion Week Supports the American Heart Association, Explorers Club Supports Chinese Indigenous Communities through Fashion, Broadway’s Hell’s Kitchen Establishes Comprehensive Fellowship Program, The Winter Show: Supporting The East Side House Settlement, and the Fall for Dance Festival.https://youtu.be/koWKsgOSs1w?si=H0LBofrIq9Ov1o5O
