Wake up little Pittsburghers, ‘The Simon & Garfunkel Story’ is here
The show narrates the story of two Jewish kids who met in elementary school and eventually became one of the best-selling musical groups of the '60s.
Heaven may hold a place for those who pray, but the Byham Theater has a spot for those who sing. On Nov. 7, “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” will entertain audiences with one action-packed Pittsburgh performance complete with projection photos, original film footage and a full live band.
The “critically acclaimed concert style theater show about two young boys from Queens, N.Y., who went on to become the world’s most successful music duo of all time” will feature hit songs including, “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” “Scarborough Fair,” “The Boxer” and “The Sound Of Silence,” noted promoters.
“The Simon and Garfunkel fans around the world have really responded to our show, which has a lot to do with our cast,” said presenter Ralph Schmidtke at Quatro Entertainment. “We are bringing this tour to many U.S. cities in 2018 — including Pittsburgh — which we have not played before.”
“The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” which has been seen by more than 250 million people worldwide, narrates the story of how Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, two Jewish kids, met at elementary school in 1953, originally operated as Tom & Jerry and eventually became one of the “best-selling music groups of the ’60s.” “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” also captures the duo’s divorce in 1970, the same year their fifth and final studio album, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” was released.
“Our goal is to entertain the fans and to establish this as an ongoing touring production for years to come and bring it back to Pittsburgh annually,” said Schmidtke.
Alan Cooper of The Portsmouth News called “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” a “must for fans, an education to the uninitiated, this is a tribute show made with true respect for the music — and the audience.”
Slightly more muted was Neil Norman of The Express, who wrote, “Small niggles aside it’s an effective reminder of an extraordinary musical duo.”
Paul Vale of The Stage gave the production four out of five stars and described the performance as “an authentic tribute to a musical duo that helped define an era.”
While such praise for “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” may or may not break your heart, perhaps Pittsburghers should note that for this performance, the “time has come to shine.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Follow the Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter for the latest stories.
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