2020 Molly Blank Concert Series Program

The Breman Museum Presents

2020 MOLLY BLANK CONCERT SERIES Celebrating Jewish Contributions to Music

LET’S FALL IN LOVE | FEB 16 PERLA BATALLA IN THE HOUSE OF COHEN | APR 26

ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET: Songs of Dorothy Fields | MAY 10

From The Breman Museum LORI SHAPIRO Thank you for joining us for "Let's Fall in Love," this year's Molly Blank Concert Series. In this exciting series of concerts, my love of Judaism, my love of music, and my love of The Breman Museum all come together! From the Great American Songbook to Broadway-- this is the music to which I grew up listening and continue to listen today it is timeless!

I have had the privilege, for the last ten years, of being a part of The Breman's continuing journey in Jewish arts, culture and history. As we continue to develop and expand our programming and our audience, we are so glad to be reaching you today!

Here's to many more engaging and fun forays into Judaism, music, art, history and culture to entertain us, to bring us together, to teach us, and to bring us joy!

LESLIE GORDON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Welcome back to The Breman for the 2020 Molly Blank Concert Series! Our show-stopping line-up features music from the heart by the Joe Alterman Trio with special guest Lena Sekaily; Leonard Cohen's poetry for the people sung by band member Perla Batalla; and a glimpse into the life in song of lyricist Dorothy Fields whose career spanned 5 decades.

And while you're here, don't forget that we host changing exhibitions in two of our three galleries. Meanwhile, The Breman hits the road this spring with engaging conversations about the significant partnerships between African American and American Jews in the development of American culture and collaborations with numerous cultural institutions as we go outside our space to meet folks where they are.

Come see us. Bring a friend, especially someone new to The Breman. Visit our exhibitions before the show. Join us for Bearing Witness: Unforgettable Stories from the Holocaust, our book club, or genealogy group. Take a class on the History of Jewish Atlanta. See the archive, where we keep stories alive. Come with us. It’s our collective journey.

A Celebration Of Life MOLLY BLANK (MAY 21, 1915 – JANUARY 7, 2015)

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it; for I shall not pass this way again.”

Molly Blank lived her life, in word and deed, consistent with her favorite quote.

Her goals accomplished, Mrs. Blank, mother of Michael and Arthur M. Blank, died in 2015 at the age of 99.

Mrs. Blank was a tough-as-nails New Yorker with a passion for the arts. From the start, family and friends say, she had an insatiable curiosity to try new things – and do them her way. She grew up on the Lower East Side of NY and always carried strong memories of attending the Yiddish theatre. After the early death of her husband, Max, she ran the family pharmaceutical business and raised her two sons in Queens, NY. Her son, Arthur, often credits his mother with his early exposure to and love of the arts.

“My mother brought me to the Carnegie Hall children’s series when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. We were living in Queens and we took a bus and a train to get there. She also brought me to see free opera in Manhattan – the first one I ever saw was Aida.”

Over the years, she developed her own artistic interests, as an accomplished painter and sculptor.

In 1997, Molly wrote her autobiography, “You Pass Through Once: The Life of Molly Blank,” to ensure her grandchildren would not be put in the same position that she had been of not knowing where her family was from or what life had been like for her grandparents. In it, she noted that her fondest wish was that her grandchildren and their descendants would live the ethics and lessons of their Jewish heritage. “In so doing they will eliminate bigotry and discrimination when they can. Justice to all will follow. With this as a guide, their lives will be meaningful and fulfilling.” Molly lived the last years of her life near her children and grandchildren in Atlanta, GA.

Let’s Fall In Love Dick Gregory and Wynton Marsalis.

“Let’s Fall in Love” marks the Atlanta debut for Lena Seikaly, a PalestinianAmerican singer from Washington. She and Alterman met years ago when they were paired for a concert in Maryland.

“Lena is one of my favorite singers to work with,” said Alterman. “She has a rare talent and is really special. She’s an incredible singer who really knows how to tell a story.”

JOE ALTERMAN

Let’s Fall in Love: Joe Alterman Trio with Special Guest Lena Seikaly Join us for a sweet afternoon filled with music and romance. This show staring the Joe Alterman Trio with special guest vocalist Lena Seikaly, features songs from the Great American Songbook – love themed! Come hear songs from Sinatra, to Nancy Wilson, to Nat King Cole, to Ella Fitzgerald like “For Heaven’s Sake,” “Love is Here to Stay,” and “Makin’ Whoopee.” Join us and let’s fall in love at the Breman.

Atlanta Jewish Music Festival Director Joe Alterman, a fourth generation Jewish Atlantan on both sides of his family, is a world-renowned jazz pianist, having performed at venues including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center.

A graduate of New York University, Alterman has shared the stage with icons like Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis,

The Washington Post calls Seikaly “one of the local jazz scene’s most promising performers" and “one of the brightest voices in jazz.” She performs frequently as a soloist alongside D.C.’s top orchestras and choirs, has performed with her own trio at the Kennedy Center and other acclaimed venues. The classically-trained operatic mezzosoprano studied at the University of Maryland School of Music.

Rounding out the Joe Alterman Trio will be bassist Robby Handley and drummer Justin Chesarek, both based in Atlanta.

“Robby and Justin are fabulous,” said

LENA SEIKALY

Perla Batalla In The House of Cohen

PERLA BATALLA

In 2015, Grammy nominated singer Perla Batalla began pondering songs to include in a follow-up CD to her 2007 tribute release to friend and mentor Leonard Cohen. As a longtime singer and touring band member with the legendary songwriter, Perla knew there was much of Cohen’s body of work she still wanted to perform and record.

Batalla’s first Cohen CD, “Bird on the Wire” was produced with Cohen’s blessing; he attended the recording session, weighed-in on material, arrangements, and participated in a photo session at his Los Angeles home to promote the project. (Says Perla, “Leonard was having so much fun - at the last minute he ran to his closet for a silk ascot to look more suave in the photos!”)

Cohen's passing in November 2016 reaffirmed Batalla’s mission of sharing the lesser-known songs of Canada's poet laureate to a younger public mostly familiar with the overplayed, “Hallelujah”.

She also wanted to dispel the too common mischaracterization of Cohen as “The Godfather of Gloom”. The man she

knew was more often than not, motivated by sly humor and absurdity. Perla Batalla in the House of Cohen features selected songs and rare personal anecdotes that serve to reveal Cohen’s lighter side (like Mr. Cohen’s deep affection for the .99 Cent Store and his delight at dining on hot dogs at Home Depot).

The concert reveals the timelessness of Cohen's art through Perla Batalla’s signature cross-cultural style, to convey her sincere respect and deep love for the music, the poetry, and most of all for her dear friend, Leonard Cohen.

“In this show, there are times when I ask my audience to sing with me," Batalla says. "I feel that the coming together of voices has the power to touch Leonard’s spirit and his lifelong devotion to art and the mysteries of the human heart. Live music is about being in the moment, and I always have this secret expectation that as we lift our voices up together we will feel Leonard all around us…and we usually do..”

On The Sunny Side of the Street: The Songs of Dorothy Fields Celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, 2020, with “On the Sunny Side of the Street: The Songs of Dorothy Fields.” A lyricist and author, Fields became one of the few women who worked in the 1920s and 1930s songwriting field to create multiple standards in musical theater. As a lyricist, Fields wrote with Jerome Kern. As a librettist, she wrote the book for Annie Get Your Gun and collaborated with Irving Berlin. Across her career, she worked closely with many more Broadway greats, including Fred Astaire, Oscar Hammerstein II, Ethel Merman, Cole Porter, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Richard Rodgers and Gwen Verdon.

Fields managed to stay relevant late into her career, through the 1960s, writing Sweet Charity along with Neil Simon and Cy Coleman, and Bob Fosse directing the show. When the Songwriters' Hall of Fame began its induction ceremonies in 1971, it included some of the most wellknown names in American music: Duke Ellington, Ira Gershwin and Alan Jay Lerner. The only woman in the group was Dorothy Fields.

The concert will blend songs as well as amusing and poignant anecdotes, painting a picture of Fields’ genius and trailblazing accomplishments. The cast and band, featuring several accomplished local musicians and musical theater veterans, will play classic tunes from her song list, such as “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “You Can’t Get a Man With A

Gun,” “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” About Atlanta Audible Atlanta Audible has been associated in composition, production and music direction for artists and performing companies around the globe, including LucasArts-Lucasfilm, the Fremont Symphony, the San Jose Symphony, the Oakland Symphony, the San Francisco Festival Pops orchestra, the Diablo Ballet, as well as albums for composers and artists like John Williams, Laurence Rosenthal, Alan Silvestri, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Sammy Davis Jr., B.B. King, Les McCann, James Brown, Gladys Knight, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and many others.

A CLIO advertising award winner, Atlanta Audible has produced and written for productions like “The Taking Of Pelham 123,″ “Mac & Mutley,” “KPIX Late Movie,” “Evening Magazine,” "Burn Notice," and many commercial and podcast projects, including the recent short film, "Sara Gait," which was officially selected for the 2019 AFRIFF Film Festival.

Atlanta Audible principal, Greg Sudmeier is pleased to continue in association with Director, Adam Koplan, and the Bremen Museum to create content for the Molly Blank Concert Series, 2020 being their 5th Annual production. As a creative team, they have created pieces at the Breman about Harold Arlen, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and The Marx Brothers.

Our Partners ATLANTA JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL For it’s 11th season, the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival (AJMF) is excited to announce its specially curated spring showcase featuring both Atlanta natives and nationally acclaimed artists. AJMF will take place March 12-15, 2020 at various venues around Atlanta. This year’s event will not only focus on Jewish artists’ contributions to music as a whole, but also the connection between Jews and African Americans in the music industry The festival lineup includes: Duchess - Jewish American Song Book Woodruff Arts Center – Thursday, March 12, 7:30 p.m. - $35-85 Meet Duchess— a jazz vocal trio known for their tight harmonies and rhythmic experimentation. Hailing from New York, Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou charm audiences with their sure-footed choruses and carefree shows. Their musical performances channel the inspiration and tradition of the swing-era Boswell Sisters, all wrapped into a contemporary package.

The Wind-Down - A Young Professionals Musical Shabbat with The Well Urban Tree Cidery – Friday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. – Free with Registration A combination of Southern preaching, great music, and Judaism, The Well is an evening service specifically curated for young professionals. Featuring original compositions, talented guest artists, spiritual gatherings, and authentic messaging, The Well prides itself on strong Jewish roots and an inspired vision of the future. Come with

spirit, leave with soul.

ATL Collective - Relives the Soul of Jerry Wexler City Winery – Saturday, March 14, 8 p.m. - $35-50 The ATL Collective relives the soul of Jerry Wexler, a Jewish American who helped to make some of the most well known musical acts of all time and changed modern recording history.

The performance will weave music and storytelling to tell the tale of a man, who because of his heritage understood discrimination, wasn’t afraid to support artists who were considered underclass. Learn about Wexler, who used his position of privilege to empower black artists, like Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding, and elevate black music to the mainstream.

Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society - Annelies: The Diary of Anne Frank The Temple – Sunday, March 15, 2020, 4 p.m. – Free with Registration Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society is a nationally respected choral ensemble that perpetuates a proud century-old tradition of artistic clarity, stylistic authority, and brilliant choral tone. The group will perform “Annelies,” a full-length choral work based on the “Diary of Anne Frank.” Anne, as this young, Jewish author is often referred to, is the abbreviated form of her actual first name, Annelies.

Our Partners

Coming soon to an orchestra near you!

Atlanta Audible with Greg Sudmeier producer, music director, conductor and the Premiere Popular Vocal Quartet, "The Blenders" in concert!

Upper Level Members THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS! The Breman Museum greatly appreciates the generosity of our supporters.

LEVISON CIRCLE ($10,000) The Spring & Tom Asher Family Hugh Asher Joey Asher Johanna Asher

Juliet Golden Michael Golden

Jennie and Alex Medeiros

The Dinerman Family Laura and Marshall Dinerman Kim and Michael Dinerman

Jarvin Levison

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ($5000) Elaine and Miles Alexander Arthur M. Blank Blonder Philanthropic Fund Lois Blonder Suzanne Blonder

Dale and Jeff Dyer Leslie and Doug Isenberg

Corky and Roger Gelder Judy and Ron Goldstein Lana and Richard Krebs

Billi and Bernie Marcus

Rosenberg Family Foundation

GUARDIAN ($2500) Shirley Blaine Ronit Walker and Matt Bronfman Mimi and Dan Maslia

Sanford Orkin Lori Shapiro and Cary Goldenthal Judith and Mark Taylor

The Zaban Foundation Judy Zaban Sara Z. and Robert Franco Carol Z. and Larry Cooper Laura Z. and Marshall Dinerman

Doris and Marty Goldstein Jack and Peter Gordon Lynne and Jack Halpern Pearlann and Gerald Horowitz Marci and Isador Mitzner Dedi and Julian Mohr

Robin Rodbell The Selig Foundation Linda and Stephen Selig Cathy Selig-Kuranoff and Steve Kuranoff Suzanne Wilner

Rachel and Curt Friedberg Julie Zwieg and David Friedman Karen and Andrew Ghertner Barbara and Jerry Greenbaum Diane and Marc Hamburger Lila and Doug Hertz Edwina and Tom Johnson Barbara and Alan Kaplan Ann and Michael Kay Jacob Kerker Carole and Sid Kirschner Michael and Sharon Levison

Sandy and Bob London Caren & Michael Merlin Jackie and Anthony Montag Brenda and Leon Novak Daniel Pentecost Robin and Marc Pollack Phyllis and Sidney Rodbell Melissa and Philip Russ Joyce Shlesinger Phyllis and Stan Slutzky Stanley M. Srochi Betty and Alan Sunshine

CHAI ($1800) Ellen Arnovitz and Michael Plasker Sheryl Blechner Judy and Ronnie Cohen Marilyn Eckstein Jana Eplan and Craig Frankel

BENEFACTOR ($1000) Sandra Adair Beth and Joel Arogeti Suzanne and Lawrence Baker Vicki and Gerry Benjamin Marlene and Abe Besser Shirley and Perry Brickman Lisa and Ron Brill Sally and Sammy Coolik Jean and Jerry Cooper Ann and Jay Davis Howard Fagin Ellen and Howard Feinsand

If there is an error or omission in this list please contact the Membership Department at 678-222-3700.

Breman Museum Board

Executive Committee and Committee Chairs Board Chair

Lori Shapiro

Vice Board Chair

Adam Koplan

Treasurer

Cathy Papadopoulos

Secretary

Lana Krebs

Collections Chair

Marilyn Eckstein

Governance Chair

Rachel Finglass

Planning & Evaluation Chair

Margie Stern

Development Chair

Howard Fagin

Membership Chair

Judy Bauer Cohen

Volunteer Museum Educators Chair

Joslin LeBauer and Marc Huppert

Board Members

Emeritus

Elaine Alexander Judy Bauer Cohen Marilyn Ginsberg Eckstein Karen Lansky Edlin Howard Fagin Rachel Finglass Elissa Fladdell Craig Frankel Curt Friedberg Robin Friedrich Marc Huppert Leslie Isenberg Evan Kananack Adam Koplan Lana Krebs Joslin LeBauer Hank Lewin Anita Lynn Cathy Papadopoulos Leanna Rinzler I.J.Rosenberg Lori Shapiro Carla Silver Margie Stern

Miles Alexander Spring Asher Thomas J. Asher Lois A. Blonder Laura Dinerman Gail H. Evans Peter Fishman Carole B. Goldberg S. Jarvin Levison Valerie Needle Carol Nemo A.J. Robinson Jerry Rosenberg Marlene J. Schwartz Joyce Shlesinger Judith Taylor Norman Zoller

The Molly Blank Concert Series Celebrating Jewish Contributions to Music is made possible through the generosity of:

Concert Hosts: Elaine and Miles Alexander

Lana and Richard Krebs

The Spring and Tom Asher Family Jarvin Levison Shirley Blaine

Carol and Bob Nemo

Lois Blonder

AJ Robinson or Nicole Ellerine

Laura and Marshall Dinerman

Dulcy and Jerry Rosenberg

Marilyn Eckstein

Marlene Schwartz

Ann and Marvin Goldstein

Joyce Shlesinger

Elaine and Michael Gutenstein

Judith and Mark Taylor

Michal and Jack Hillman

Jeannette and Michael Zukor

Pearlann Horowitz

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

The Sara Giles Moore Foundation

BREMAN FOUNDATION Inc.

In-kind support has been provided by:

1440 Spring Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, TheBreman.org (678) 222-3700