Jerry Bock: memorial celebrating his life on 24 Jan

The life of legendary Broadway composer Jerry Bock will be celebrated on 24 Jan 2011 at Roundabout's American Airlines Theater at 2:30pm. The celebration is open to the public, on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 2pm.

Among the speakers and performers scheduled to appear are Kate Baldwin, Brigid Brady, Susan Cella, Barbara Cook, Harvey Fierstein, Boyd Gaines, Roundabout's Todd Haimes, Bock's longtime collaborator Sheldon Harnick, Hal Linden (and his original Rothschilds' "sons:" David Garfield, Alan Gruet, Paul Hecht, Tim Jerome and Chris Sarandon), Joe Masteroff, Howard McGillin, Brad Oscar, producer Stuart Ostrow, Austin Pendleton, Lonny Price, Harold Prince, Chita Rivera, Bock's longtime friend and attorney Richard M. Ticktin, Rachel Ulanet, Tony Walton, Sherman Yellen and Bock's daughter Portia, among others. Michael Montel will stage the event.

Bock's numerous credits include 'Mr. Wonderful,' 'The Body Beautiful,' 'Fiorello!' (1960 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award for Best Musical), 'Tenderloin,' 'She Loves Me,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' (1965 Tony Award for Best Musical, Tony Award for Best Composer, 1972 Tony Special Award), 'The Apple Tree' (Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Composer) and 'The Rothschilds' (Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Score), among others. Jerry Bock was raised in Flushing, Queens where he studied the piano from an early age. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he wrote a musical titled 'Big As Life,' about Paul Bunyan, which had a run in Chicago. After graduation he spent three summers at the Tamiment Playhouse in the Poconos and wrote for early television revues with lyricist Larry Holofcener. He made his Broadway debut in 1955 with the revue 'Catch a Star,' in which he collaborated with Holofcener and George Weiss.

Jerry Bock died 3rd Nov 2010 from heart failure at the age of 81.