OXFORD, Miss. – Musical composer Marvin Hamlisch, winner of virtually every award in his field, is expected to deliver a thrilling performance at 8 p.m. Friday (Sept. 4) to open the season at the University of Mississippi’s Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
“An Evening with Marvin Hamlisch, Sounds of Stage and Screen,” a program of the Ford Series, also will feature tenor Stephen Lehew.
Hamlisch has to his credit three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys and a Tony, plus three Golden Globes; and his groundbreaking show “A Chorus Line” received the Pulitzer Prize.
Of the new performing arts season, Ford Center Director Norm Easterbrook said, “It’s a pleasure to present the new offerings of the Ford Center. We decided to continue with the same level of programming in terms of the number of performances and the types of events. This is in response to last year’s attendance and support of our programming.
“We build upon our mission to provide the best possible experiences in the live performing arts to our campus community and the north Mississippi region.”
The 2009-10 Ford Series also includes “Camelot” on Nov. 24, “Scrooge, In Concert” Dec. 18, “Cabaret” Feb. 13, “The Glenn Miller Orchestra” Feb. 20 and “Shirley Jones, A Night at the Oscars” March 2.
During his campus visit, Hamlisch will also provide students with a lecture demonstration.
“Hamlisch is a consummate songwriter, well known for dozens of award-winning compositions for Broadway and Hollywood,” Easterbrook said. “He will demonstrate his versatility in a delightful evening of glimpses behind the scenes of many of the most famous contemporary American film and musical theatre projects.”
He composed more than 40 motion picture scores, including his Oscar-winning score and song for “The Way We Were” and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s music for “The Sting,” for which he also received an Oscar.
A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and Queens College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, Hamlisch said he believes in the power of music to bring people together.
“Music can make a difference,” he said. “There is a global nature to music, which has the potential to bring all people together. Music is truly an international language, and I hope I can contribute by widening communication as much as I can.”
Hamlisch’s other film scores include original compositions and/ or musical adaptations for “Sophie’s Choice,” “Ordinary People,” “The Swimmer,” “Three Men and a Baby,” “Ice Castles,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Bananas” and “Save the Tiger.” His latest effort is “The Informant” starring Matt Damon, scheduled for release this month.
Tickets to see Marvin Hamlisch are $30 to $40 for various seating. Ford Series season tickets are also on sale. All tickets are available by calling the UM Box Office at 662-915-7411 or by visiting the Box Office in the Ole Miss Student Union from noon to 4 p.m. or the Ford Center Box Office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Tickets can also be purchased online at http://www.olemiss.edu/fordcenter/ .
For a complete list of events and shows at the Ford Center, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/fordcenter/ . For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7411.