2008 Woodie Awards
Award winning composer comes to SRU
Marvin Hamlisch entertains crowd with commentary and music
By Andrew Carranza
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 12/2/05 Section: Entertainment
Award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch entertained a packed Slippery Rock audience Thursday night with commentary about his life, jokes about the Rock, and of course, music.
Hamlisch has won every major award in America for his compositions, including three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, one Tony, three Golden Globe awards, and a Pulitzer Prize for his music in "A Chorus Line." He has also composed scores for more than 40 motions pictures, including "The Way We Were" and "The Sting."
SRU President Robert Smith gave a short introduction at the beginning of the show, informing the audience of Hamlisch's accomplishments. Hamlisch took the stage soon after, armed only with a piano and microphone and began to tell his story.
"I was in Palm Springs, Florida yesterday," Hamlisch told the crowd. "It was a pleasant 74 degrees outside and there was a nice cool breeze in the air. Then we left the next morning at 4:30 a.m., flew to Denver, then to Pittsburgh. Then from Pittsburgh we came here. Can't you tell that I love to be here?"
There was also a slight lighting malfunction that Hamlisch utilized to entertain the audience. Two attendees had a bright light shining down on them even after the lights initially went out. It was so bright that they had to get up and move to different seats.
"It felt like I was being questioned by the cops!" one of them yelled to Hamlisch.
"You know, you'd think in the type of university we are at, they'd be able to turn off one light!" Hamlisch responded amid laughter. "Don't worry by tomorrow it'll be fine."
The light finally did turn off but only after Hamlisch played several tunes on the piano. Hamlisch told the audience a short story about how he played the piano at a party for Hollywood producer Sam Spiegel and how Spiegel offered him the chance to write a score for the movie, "The Swirl." The title song was the first score Hamlisch ever composed, and he started off the program with it. He played several other songs before addressing the audience again.
Hamlisch has won every major award in America for his compositions, including three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, one Tony, three Golden Globe awards, and a Pulitzer Prize for his music in "A Chorus Line." He has also composed scores for more than 40 motions pictures, including "The Way We Were" and "The Sting."
SRU President Robert Smith gave a short introduction at the beginning of the show, informing the audience of Hamlisch's accomplishments. Hamlisch took the stage soon after, armed only with a piano and microphone and began to tell his story.
"I was in Palm Springs, Florida yesterday," Hamlisch told the crowd. "It was a pleasant 74 degrees outside and there was a nice cool breeze in the air. Then we left the next morning at 4:30 a.m., flew to Denver, then to Pittsburgh. Then from Pittsburgh we came here. Can't you tell that I love to be here?"
There was also a slight lighting malfunction that Hamlisch utilized to entertain the audience. Two attendees had a bright light shining down on them even after the lights initially went out. It was so bright that they had to get up and move to different seats.
"It felt like I was being questioned by the cops!" one of them yelled to Hamlisch.
"You know, you'd think in the type of university we are at, they'd be able to turn off one light!" Hamlisch responded amid laughter. "Don't worry by tomorrow it'll be fine."
The light finally did turn off but only after Hamlisch played several tunes on the piano. Hamlisch told the audience a short story about how he played the piano at a party for Hollywood producer Sam Spiegel and how Spiegel offered him the chance to write a score for the movie, "The Swirl." The title song was the first score Hamlisch ever composed, and he started off the program with it. He played several other songs before addressing the audience again.
