David Lawrence and Debbie Gravitte are taking their tribute to Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé to Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall. A Toast to Steve & Eydie will play the Manhattan venue one night only March 18, 2024.
The concert evening sees Lawrence, the duo's son, joining Broadway and cabaret favorite Gravitte to pay tribute to the pair, sharing their personal history and singing swing arrangements of American standards including "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," "I Gotta Be Me," "What Did I Have (That I Don't Have)," "Together, Wherever We Go," "Cheek to Cheek," and more.
Lonny Price and Matt Cowart are directing the evening, which is written by Robert L. Freedman and Faye Greenberg. Lawrence and Gravitte will be backed by a 30-piece orchestra led by music director Tedd Firth.
"From the moment I met Debbie and experienced, firsthand, her extraordinary talent, I was smitten," says Lawrence in a statement. "There was something about her amazing voice and unbelievable energy that always reminded me of my mom. Two thoroughbreds who knew how to shape a song and bring down the house. Through the years Debbie and I have collaborated on many projects including playing my mom and dad in the Bette Midler film, Isn’t She Great. Even back then we talked about doing something to celebrate my parents’ remarkable career—a chance to take a deep dive into the incredible orchestrations that made their repertoire so exciting and their shows so unforgettable. That time is now. The glamour, style, and elegance of an era gone by, classic songs by our greatest songwriters, and a swingin’ 30-piece band that will blow your mind. I can’t wait!"
"I knew my fate was sealed when I sang at Steve and Eydie's son’s wedding," adds Gravitte. "After I sang, Eydie stood up and rang out to the room 'That's my type of broad!' Little did I dream that years later I would be in the privileged position of celebrating the incomparable legacy of Eydie Gormé and Steve Lawrence, alongside their incredibly talented son, David. David and I first met over some music demos he was working on and then, soon after, he was busy at work creating the most fantastic arrangements and orchestrations for my first album. David and I were very clear from the beginning that this would be a celebration—and not an imitation—of his parents. We would sing together with a 30-piece band playing the iconic, epic arrangements that David’s parents made famous. It is a little bit like being in heaven. Eydie Gormé …she is my kind of broad."
Lawrence and Gravitte previously performed A Toast to Steve & Eydie at Axelrod Performing Arts Center in New Jersey and Palm Desert, California's McCallum Theatre.
Tickets are available at CarnegieHall.org.
