Dan Chouinard, Prudence Johnson, Bradley Greenwald and Diana Grasselli will write a love letter to Leonard Bernstein in "Dear Lenny." /Dan Norman
He won't hear it, but theatergoers can sing "Happy Birthday" to the late, great Leonard Bernstein and listen to some of his best-loved music at "Dear Lenny."
Described as a "theatrical concert," the show unites Dan Chouinard, Bradley Greenwald, Diana Grasselli and Prudence Johnson for a blend of music and excerpts from the activist/composer's letters to famed collaborators and friends, including Bette Davis, Stephen Sondheim and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. "Dear Lenny: Bernstein's Life in Letters & Songs" will hint at the composer's breadth, including samples of his music for Broadway ("West Side Story," currently on stage at the Guthrie Theater), concert halls (his "Mass," his "Kaddish" symphony) and movies ("On the Town," "On the Waterfront").
"Dear Lenny" will be performed Aug. 16-26 but if you really want to do it up right, you'll spring for tickets on Bernstein's actual birthday, Aug. 25, which will include pre-show cocktails, an afterparty and birthday cake. Tickets to that event are $55; the other nights are $26. They're available at openeyetheatre.org.
