Winning Songwriter Richard M. Sherman to Bring His �Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious� Songbook to the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival
April 25 Gala Reception & Concert at The Island Hotel Newport Beach Features Nearly 50 Years of Song Hits
(April 9, 2008) On
Friday, April 25 at 7:00pm, within the intimate setting of the Palm Garden at
The Island Hotel Newport Beach, Academy Award� winning songwriter Richard M.
Sherman will perform selections from his motion picture songbook for attendees
of the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival (open to the public). Noted author, film
historian and Disney authority Jeff Kurtti will host the concert. Tickets for
the gala reception and concert are $25 and are available by visiting
www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.
From Hollywood, to Broadway, to theme
park locales around the world, the sun never sets on the music of Richard
Sherman and his collaborator/brother, Robert B. Sherman. The soundtrack of our
childhoods resonates with beloved songs written by the Sherman Brothers. Their
career spans almost 50 years and includes two Oscars� for Walt Disney�s �Mary
Poppins� - Best Score and Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"). Other musical honors
include three Grammy Awards, 24 gold and platinum albums, a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction in the Songwriters Hall of
Fame.
Recently the Shermans wrote several additional songs for the
recent smash hit stage productions of �Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,� which enjoyed
huge success in London and on Broadway. Today, their music continues to enchant
audiences on Broadway in the acclaimed stage musical �Mary Poppins,� presented
by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.
�We�re honored to have such a film
musical legend join us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of music
and song,� said Gregg Schwenk, executive director of the Newport Beach Film
Festival. �The Sherman Brothers certainly rank among the greats of Hollywood
song writers and if you don�t recognize their music, you must have slept through
the past five decades.�
The Sherman Brothers initially gained
recognition in popular music with several top-ten rock and roll hits, among them
"You're Sixteen� (a hit for both Johnny Burnette and Ringo Starr), "Let's Get
Together" (a hit for Hayley Mills), and "Tall Paul� (the first of many hit songs
for Annette Funicello). 1960 marked the start of a phenomenal ten-year
association with film producer Walt Disney, during which time they composed over
150 songs for his films, TV shows and theme parks. Their Disney film credits
include �The Jungle Book,� �The Parent Trap,� �Bedknobs and Broomsticks,� �The
Sword in the Stone,� �The Aristocats,� �The Happiest Millionaire,� the original
�Winnie the Pooh� featurettes, and of course, �Mary Poppins,� among many others.
The Shermans went on to compose song scores for the animated features
�Snoopy Come Home,� �Charlotte's Web,� the Broadway hit �Over Here!� and the
'fantasmagorical' movie musical �Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,� with its
Oscar�-nominated title song. The Sherman Brothers created screenplays and song
scores for the film musicals �Tom Sawyer� (their music won First Prize at the
Moscow Film Festival), �Huckleberry Finn,� �The Slipper and the Rose� (which was
chosen as the 1976 Royal Film Performance for Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain)
and �The Magic of Lassie,� which earned them their ninth Academy Award�
nomination for Best Song.
Other recent projects include the book
�Walt's Time� � an autobiographical and pictorial journey through their
songwriting years - and composing the song score to the successful Disney
animated feature �The Tigger Movie.� And, thanks to the Disney Parks around the
world, there is always Sherman Brothers music playing somewhere on the globe
through such beloved attractions as �Walt Disney�s Enchanted Tiki Room,� �It�s a
Small World� (whose unforgettable and often parodied title song is considered
among the most translated and performed songs on earth), �The Adventures of
Winnie the Pooh,� �Carousel of Progress,� etc.
About Newport Beach
Film Festival
Launched in 1999, the Newport Beach Film Festival is
one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States. Presenting
over 450 films from 37 countries, the Newport Beach Film Festival has featured
many acclaimed films, including the U.S. premiere of 2006 Academy Award� Best
Picture �Crash,� and the west coast premieres of �The Illusionist,� �Son of
Rambow,� �Mad Hot Ballroom� and �Layer Cake,� �Dust to Glory,� �Riding Giants,�
�Sexy Beast,� �Spellbound,� �Dogtown� and �Z Boys.� With its pristine coastal
location and warm weather, strong network of corporate sponsors, nightly events,
music performances and industry seminars, the Newport Beach Film Festival has
quickly gained recognition among filmmakers and audiences worldwide, hosting
more than 40,000 attendees during the Festival's eight day run at Newport
Beach's beautiful Fashion Island and Lido Plaza (April 24 � May 1, 2008). For
ticket information please visit: www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.
-- Posted April 9, 2008