The Monday Night Concert Series continues with “Kahn Plays Kern,” at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The concert features pianist Jeremy Kahn in a solo concert of masterpieces by Jerome Kern. The concert is free, and the public is warmly welcome.
New York native Jerome Kern was one of the major U.S. creators of the musical. Kern studied music in New York City and in Heidelberg, Germany. He later gained theatrical experience in London. In 1912 he composed The Red Petticoat, the first musical to contain only his own music. In 1927 his Show Boat, based on Edna Ferber's novel and with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, became the first American musical with a serious plot drawn from a literary source; it represents a landmark in the history of musical theatre. It was followed by The Cat and the Fiddle (1931), Music in the Air (1932), and Roberta (1933). After 1933 he composed for Hollywood. Kern's classic songs include "The Song Is You," "All the Things You Are," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Ol' Man River."
A resident of Oak Park, Kahn is a well known jazz pianist, having played in venues around the world. He also plays in pit orchestras for theatrical extravaganzas and for music heard in advertising.
The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent living and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay - a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The class is free and open to the public. For more information contact Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.
