Ira Gershwin Videos

The Encores! 20th Anniversary season opens on January 30, and Encores! alums have been sending in their best wishes. Below, check out a video of Stephen Wallem, Victoria Clark, Mylinda Hull, Chuck Cooper, Elizabeth Stanley, Judy Kaye, Mayor Bloomberg and more riffing on their Encores! experiences!

As Sir Robin carols merrily to King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot, 'In any great adventure, if you don't want to lose...you won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews.' Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy is a new, 90-minute documentary by Michael Kantor, creator of the Emmy-winning series, Broadway: The American Musical. The special just aired on Great Performances yesterday, January 1 on PBS. Click below to watch!

Happy Birthday, Ira Gershwin! A lyricist, Gershwin collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. With George he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as 'I Got Rhythm', 'Embraceable You', 'The Man I Love' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me'. He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess. The success the brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. However, his mastery of songwriting continued after the early death of George. He wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern ('Long Ago (and Far Away)'), Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen.

America's favorite holiday tradition, the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, returns to dazzle and enchant millions nationwide today, Thursday, November 22. The festivities will showcase performances from different Broadway companies. Check out Matthew Broderick, Kelli O'Hara and the cast of NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT as they perform 'Lady be Good' and 'S Wonderful'!

The Tony-winning hit musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT was recently featured on NBC's "Today" Weekend Edition. News anchor Jenna Wolfe went behind-the-scenes to make her Broadway debut in the show, picking up some pointers along the way from stars Matthew Broderick & Kelli O'Hara. Watch the segment below!

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and four-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara. The production is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall and is now playing at Broadway's Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). Check out what it's like backstage at the Imperial, with the special behind the scenes video below!

Today in 1943, Porgy and Bess opened at the 44th Street Theatre, where it ran for 24 performances. First performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, it was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward. All three works deal with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an 'American folk opera', Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers-a daring artistic choice at the time.

Young Hollywood (hosted by Lesley Robins) went backstage to Broadway's production of the classic Gershwin musical NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT with Jeff Schecter, who plays Floyd. This behind-the-scenes peek looks at the show, its costume department, fun props and more. Plus, Schecter reveals what it's like to work with Matthew Broderick and what it was like taking over as the understudy for the Tony Award-winning role of Cookie, played by star Michael McGrath. Check out the video below!

Last night, June 10, Audra McDonald took home her 5th Tony Award for for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her role of 'Bess' in THE GERSWIN's PORGY AND BESS. Though we'd think she'd be used to the feeling of winning by now, McDonald spoke with BroadwayWorld just moments after her win only to reveal how it still feels 'out of body'. Click below to hear from the Broadway darling herself!

Judy Kaye is this year's recipient of the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. Hear what she had to say on winning her second Tony, touring and more!

Michael McGrath is the recipient of this year's Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. Immediately following his big win, McGrath visited BroadwayWorld to talk about just how much a win like this means to him. Check it out below!

Two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and 2012 nominee Kelli O'Hara from the Tony-nominated Best Musical NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT performed 'S'Wonderful' on 'The View' this morning, May 31st. Check out the full performance below!

Matthew Broderick, star of Broadway's NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, was a guest on last night's 'Watch What Happens Live' on Bravo. While playing host Andy Cohen's favorite game of 'Plead the Fifth', Broderick revealed his most embarrassing moment on the Broadway stage.

The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.' BroadwayWorld has just received preview clips of tonight's broadcast and brings them to you below! Click to watch Mike Myers, Sheryl Crow, Smokie Robinson and more honor the musical greats at the White House presentation and be sure to tune into PBS tonight for the full show.

On May 8, The Library of Congress kicked off a series of events honoring Grammy- and Academy-Award-winning songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, recipients of the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, culminating a special tribute delivered by President Barack Obama. The prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive collection resides in the Library of Congress. The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.'

Two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick, Robyn Hurder and the cast of the Tony-nominated Best Musical NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT performed 'Sweet & Lowdown' on CBS 'The Late Show with David Letterman' last night, May 3rd. Check out the full performance below!

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS was nominated for ten Tony Awards yesterday morning, including Best Revivial of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and is Actress counterpart. Check out this backstage footage of the cast, including Phillip Boykin and Joshua Henry, reacting to the news.

The new musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, opened last night, April 24 at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara and is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities, and we bring you interviews with the cast and creative team below!

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, stars two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara. The production is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall. The official opening night is on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. Complete production highlights have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below!

The official opening night is on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Broadway's Imperial Theatre and we've got a first look at a montage of scenes from the new production!