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The Hollywood Musical: Four Decades of Magic! Part 1

February 9, 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Irving Berlin: The Last Troubadour

February 24, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Cole Porter: Sophisticate of American Song

March 16, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

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Light on his feet, Fred Astaire revolutionized the movie musical with his elegant and seemingly effortless dance style. He may have made dancing look easy, but he was a well-known perfectionist, and his work was the product of endless hours of practice.

Astaire started performing as a child, partnering up with his older sister Adele. The two toured the vaudeville circuit before making it to Broadway in 1917. Among their many productions the brother-sister team starred in the 1927 George and Ira Gershwin musical Funny Face. For all his early success, though, career in the movies eluded Astaire. He had done a screen test, but he failed to attract any interest. A studio executive wrote at the time, “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Slightly balding. Can dance a little.” He eventually appeared in 36 musical films.

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