New School President Bob Kerrey and Robert LuPone, director of The New School for Drama, engage in an informal discussion with Charles Strouse, acclaimed composer, lyricist, and arranger.

Charles Strouse’s music has been an integral part of American culture for more than 40 years. His first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie (written with longtime collaborator Lee Adams), won him a Tony Award for best score. In 1970, Strouse’s Applause (starring Lauren Bacall) won him his second Tony, and his 1977 hit, Annie, earned him a third Tony and two Grammy awards. Other musicals include: Golden Boy, It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman, and Rags. Film scores include Bonnie & Clyde, The Night They Raided Minsky’s, and All Dogs Go to Heaven. In addition to composing for musicals and film, he has written orchestral works, chamber music, piano concertos, and opera. He also wrote the theme song “Those Were the Days” for the television show, All in the Family.

Strouse studied under Aaron Copland and Nadia Boulanger. In 1977, he founded the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York. He is the recipient of both the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein awards and a member of the Theater Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. His autobiography, Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir, was released in June 2008.