Evening with Jule Styne 1963

Streisand / LIVE 

“An Evening with Jule Styne” (1963)

Gracie Mansion
New York, NY

May 14, 1963
Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the mayors of New York City since the administration of Fiorello H. La Guardia in 1942. Pictured above is the mansion restored by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2003.

For the purpose of refurbishing Carnegie Hall, a money-raising tribute to Jule Styne was scheduled for May 14, 1963. “An Evening With Jule Styne” took place on the sprawling front lawn of the mansion. According to several newspaper reports from the day, Sydney Chaplin, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Phyllis Newman and Johnny Desmond were the singers who entertained that evening.  Afterward, guests who paid $50 a ticket were served a buffet dinner.

Only one of the three articles Barbra Archives has collected mentions that Barbra Streisand was there.  Since she had just started performing at Basin Street East the night before, it's possible she wasn't there, although Streisand could have sung for Styne, skipped dinner, and headed over to Basin Street East on 54th Street.

This live performance is interesting, and possible ... but unverified.  The announcement that Streisand would star in Funny Girl with music by Styne came two months later in July.  Also curious is that Sydney Chaplin and Johnny Desmond were both listed as performing.  Desmond, of course, was Chaplin's replacement in Funny Girl several years later.

End / Evening With Jule Styne
Share by: