Course Catalog

The Man Who Put the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz: Lyricist & Human Rights Activist Yip Harburg

Bonnie Weiss Although Yip Harburg’s name is not as easily recognizable as other lyricists like Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin and Oscar Hammerstein, his songs certainly are! With composer Harold Arlen, he wrote the lyrics to the entire score of one of Hollywood’s most beloved films, The Wizard of Oz. The American Film Institute ranked one of its tunes, “Over the Rainbow,” the number one song to emerge from a Hollywood film. Harburg also penned the lyrics to the legendary Depression-era song "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" (music by Jay Gorney), and the hit Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow (with composer Burton Lane). With Harold Arlen he wrote such classics as “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe,” and the Groucho Marx comic gem, “Lydia the Tattooed Lady.” With composer Vernon Duke, Harburg penned the words to the haunting "April in Paris". In this presentation you’ll learn about Yip’s early years as a poor Jewish kid growing up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and how it influenced his efforts to fight for social justice. You'll see how his vision is expressed through his lyrics, and via rare interviews. You’ll also get to see Yip, himself, performing many of his own songs in a vividly engaging manner.. What’s more, you’ll see performances of his work by such legends of the stage and screen as Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and Groucho Marx. Best of all, you’ll hear Yip relate fascinating stories about how and why he wrote his marvelous words to these great tunes, including the song The American film institute ranked as the greatest song to be written for a film: “Over the Rainbow”. Bonnie Weiss, M.A. is a seasoned theatre educator and professional speaker. She teaches musical theatre appreciation for S.F. State, U.C. Berkeley and Santa Clara University OLL. She has taught at S.F. Conservatory of Music, and has written for The Sondheim Review and Stage Directions. Bonnie holds a B.A. in theatre education and an M.A. in counseling psychology, both from NYU.

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