Allegro

In Brief

Volume CVII, No. 10October, 2007

COMPOSERS CAFÉ AT 802

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Composer Elliot Lawrence

Want to hear from some prominent composers? On Oct. 25, Local 802 and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will present the first Composers Café, a new series of programs featuring prominent composers presenting their life’s work through stories, their music, and video clips.

Launching this new series will be Elliot Lawrence and his son Jamie Lawrence. The event will be moderated by John McDaniel.

The event will be held in the 802 Club Room and start with a reception at 6:30 p.m. The program will formally take place from 7 to 8:30. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP to info@nyemmys.org. The event is free.

Elliot Lawrence has been the music director of the Tony Awards show since its television inception. He was composer and conductor for the Oscar winning film “Network,” as well as for the opening sequence of “The French Connection.” He served as conductor and orchestrator for many Broadway shows, including “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” for which he won a Tony for music direction. He’s won seven Emmys over the years, including one for “The Kennedy Center Honors,” which he music directed for 12 years.

His son, Jamie Lawrence, has himself won four Emmys. Jamie produced the music to the feature film “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” and produced and conducted the score for “Music of Regret,” starring Meryl Streep. He has scored numerous documentaries — most recently these for HBO: “Dealing Dogs,” “Methadonia,” and “Shot in the Dark.” He also writes and performs children’s songs under the name Jamie Broza.

John McDaniel, the moderator, has been involved in almost every aspect of the music business and has won its top awards.

ALLEGRO WINS AWARDS

Allegro came in second place in the entire country among all labor newspapers in its circulation class that entered the annual journalism contest of the International Labor Communications Association.

The paper also received an honorable mention for a special reason. Last year, during the Local 802 election campaign, Allegro ran letters to the editor from both sides — as we always do. This is unusual in a union paper, and it is one of Allegro’s proud traditions. The contest judges awarded us an honorable mention for best series: our letters to the editor column.

Finally, Allegro won second place for news writing for a story about music and labor history by David Elsila that appeared in the May 2006 Labor History Month issue.

MEET AND GREET

If you played in this year’s or previous New York Musical Theatre Festivals, you’re invited to a “Meet and Greet” with other musicians from the festival and established Local 802 theatre musicians, including music coordinators, contractors and conductors. Refreshments will be provided. Have some friends who are musicians? Bring them along too! The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 5:15 to 7:30 at Local 802. For details, contact Mary Donovan at mdonovan@local802afm.org or Marisa Friedman at mfriedman@local802afm.org, or call (212) 245-4802, ext. 156 or 130.