Irving Berlin
By Jeffrey Catalano
Assistant Editor
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Mayerson JCC, in conjunction with Matt Tolentino and his New Liberty Dance Orchestra, will honor the music and legacy of one of America’s greatest composers and songwriters, Irving Berlin.
Berlin’s music, among other esteemed accomplishments, is credited with forming a large part of the Great American songbook. Over the course of his career, he produced nineteen musical shows, eighteen musical scores and over a thousand songs.
Born in Russia in 1888 and originally named Israel Berlin, his family move to the United States when he was five to escape the pogroms. He later changed his first name to “Irving” to assimilate into American society and conceal his Jewish identity from the entertainment industry, which was known for antisemitism at the time.
Writing his first song in 1907 and working for most of his life, Berlin was an extremely prolific songwriter. His first hit song came in 1911 with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and some of his most famous songs, of the many he wrote, include “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “White Christmas,” and “Blue Skies.” However, the hit songs listed here are only scratching the surface of the many he wrote in his long and unparalleled career.
Arguably Berlin’s best-known play is “White Christmas,” which is based on the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Another one of Berlin’s better-known plays is “Annie Get Your Gun.”
Stylistically, Berlin’s music is probably most famous for being simple and direct, with music and lyrics often written in the American vernacular. One of the composer’s main goals with his music appeal to the average American. For such a prolific songwriter, it’s worth noting that Berlin couldn’t read sheet music for most of his career and could hardly play piano.
Berlin’s sterling career spanned for sixty years, and he received such prestigious awards as an Oscar, a Grammy and a Tony. In 1977, he was even award the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford. He withdrew from public life in the late 1960s and hardly ever made any appearances until his death in 1989 at the age of 101.
For anyone interested in Berlin’s music or the Great American songbook, this event promises to be a great time! Matt Tolentino will play the songs of Berlin’s with his 11-piece band, the New Liberty Dance Orchestra.
