Born on the 4th of July: George M. Cohan, the Man Who Owned Broadway

Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Monday, March 23, at 6pm for Born on the 4th of July: George M. Cohan, the Man who Owned Broadway, a presentation and performance from historian musicians Ben Sears and Brad Conner.

George M. Cohan was born in Providence to a Rhode Island family, but he was truly born into the theatre. His parents were vaudevillians, and George was almost immediately part of the act. As an adult, he wrote the scripts, music, and lyrics for shows that he produced, directed, and starred in. While his plays now may be out of fashion, some of his songs live on, including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Over There,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Ben & Brad will highlight his career with recordings, film clips, and live performances of some of the classic songs of this legendary figure of American theatre.

In addition to the presentation, guests will also enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a Manhattan cocktail from Providence’s Industrious Spirit Company.

This talk is part of our year-long commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding and Rhode Island’s part in shaping our nation’s history and culture from 1776 to 1976.

Benjamin Sears & Bradford Conner have been performing together since 1989 and were called “Boston’s favorite song duo” by the Boston Globe. They appear regularly throughout New England in concert and cabaret, along with performances in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and in Europe in Oxford and Paris. Sears & Conner have thirteen CD releases of songs by Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, E.Y. Harburg, Sammy Cahn, and others. Due this year is their seventh Berlin CD, finishing their overview of Berlin’s career. Historians as well as performers, Ben & Brad give popular lectures/demonstrations of the classic era of American songwriting, along with giving classes for the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and Beacon Hill Seminars. Sears is the editor of The Irving Berlin Reader (Oxford University Press) and contributed a chapter to Adapting the Wizard of Oz: Musical Versions from Baum to MGM and Beyond (OUP); he also appeared on BBC Radio 4 discussing Irving Berlin’s song White Christmas.

For more about Ben & Brad, visit www.benandbrad.com.

RIHS Member Admission is $35 and Non-Member Admission is $40. Guests can buy tickets here.