Acclaimed singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist Randy Newman P’14 will perform a concert benefiting Green Street Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 4 at the Memorial Chapel. The concert is sold out, with tickets ranging in price from $25 to $100. The proceeds will support students in the Center’s 2011-2012 After School Arts and Sciences Program.
“Tickets went extremely fast,” said Green Street Arts Center Managing Director and GLSP student Jessica Carso. “We are so excited to report that it is sold out three weeks before the event.”
As written on the concert’s official flyer, Newman “will perform songs from throughout his career in intimate solo piano arrangements.” The audience for the event, set for Homecoming and Family Weekend 2011, will include alumni, parents, students, and local community members.
Each year the Center hosts a benefit function similar to Newman’s concert.
“As we began brainstorming ideas for this year’s event, Randy Newman’s name immediately surfaced to the top of the list,” Carso said. “We reached out to see if he was available during Homecoming and Family Weekend 2011, and he graciously and very quickly agreed.”
Newman is the father of Patrick Newman ’14 and had previously offered to perform a benefit concert for Wesleyan.
“I’m excited about introducing my parents to life here at Wesleyan and am honored that everyone is looking forward to watching my dad perform,” the younger Newman said.
When University Relations staff were given official word from Newman that he would perform in November, planning and coordination of the event began.
“We’ve been working on this for the last few weeks and continue to ensure all the details come together for what will be an extraordinarily special and fun evening for everyone,” Carso said.
Newman has been nominated for 20 Academy Awards and has taken home two. In addition, he has won three Emmys, five Grammy Awards, and the Governor’s Award from the Recording Academy. Newman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2007, Newman was inducted as a Disney Legend.
His film scores include “Ragtime,” “Awakenings,” “The Natural,” “Leatherheads,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Meet the Parents,” “Cold Turkey,” “Seabiscuit,” and “The Princess and the Frog.” He has also scored six Disney/Pixar films: “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Cars,” and “Toy Story 3.”
“‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’ is my all-time favorite song,” said Amelia Mettler ’15, who will be attending the concert with her parents. “The ‘Toy Story’ trilogy is incredible. Randy Newman’s music adds an emotional depth to the films, and I’m really looking forward to the concert.”
Carso expressed her excitement about the event and the benefits it will provide Green Street.
“We are extremely honored and very grateful to Mr. Newman for donating his performance to us,” Carso said. “This concert will certainly be a highlight during the Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities and provide wonderful visibility and financial support for the center.”