At left, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby star in “High Society,” a movie that featured music by Cole Porter. At right, Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger dance together in “The Gay Divorcee,” which featured Cole Porter music.
The music of the late Cole Porter will be featured at American Songbook Today’s third concert of its monthly series “Standards and Showtunes.”
Mr. Porter is recognized as one of the most prolific, wittiest and most famous of all American songwriters.
“A Tribute to Cole Porter” begins at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club, 441 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.
Mr. Porter wrote the musicals “Anything Goes,” “Can-Can,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” etc. His songs are featured in films such as “The Gay Divorcee,” starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; “Night and Day,” starring Cary Grant in a fictionalized account of Mr. Porter’s life, and “High Society,” starring Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong.
Among the local performers Sunday will be Lou Adams, Jared Beau Bergmann (of the Rose Valley Thorns Bluegrass Band), Fred Chapman, Roman Cluff-Thompson, Darienne Gross, Eric John Harrington, Joyce McWilliams, Marisa Miculian, Anders Shennum, Robin Streichler, Suzi Thatcher and Emmalee Villafana.
Michael Estwanik, the founder of American Songbook Today, will host the concert, and Greg Spaulding will be the pianist.
Among the songs to be performed are “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “I Concentrate on You,” “Let’s Misbehave,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” ”The Can-Can,” “So in Love,” “It’s DeLovely,” “Begin the Beguine,” “Anything Goes,” “The Physician,” “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” and many others.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
Reservations are needed for the Cole Porter concert, set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club, 441 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai. Reservations can be made by emailing michaelsongbook@gmail.com.
A $10 cash donation will be collected at the door. Wine, beer and water will be available. Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations will be required. For more information, email michaelsongbook@gmail.com.
