american songbook

The Foundation is a Dutch non-profit organization, aiming for the preservation and promotion of the valuable cultural heritage of The American Songbook in the Netherlands. To this end multiple concepts for theater, concerts, radio and several other media, are developed, the essence being the “classical” American popular music.

The Foundation achieves this goal by:

• research and the development and promotion of musical theatre and educational projects
• preserving the unique collected data in sound, image and writing
• making these data accessible to interested parties.

The instigator and driving force behind American Songbook is Cor Franc. From his early childhood he grew up with American music and became an authority of this repertoire through continuous specialization and a score of realized projects.

Project list
The creative teams of American Songbook is led by creative producer Cor Franc. He is responsible for concept and choice of music of each performance.

Musical Theater

• You’re the Top (Cole Porter) – Nomination Louis d’Or (Best Actor) Willem Nijholt
• Larry, this funny world (Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers)
• Python (Johnny Mercer)
• There’s No Business Like Show Business (Irving Berlin) – Nominations Musical Award for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress
• Sinatra: That’s Life! (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne eva) Nomination Musical Award Best Actor
• Life is a Cabaret (miscellaneous) Nomination ANWB Audience Award Best Small Musical
• The World Goes ‘Round (Kander & Ebb)

Theater concert
with the Metropole orchestra

• Wim Koopmans
• The European Centennial Concert Mr. Cole Porter you´re the Top!
• Songs from the Great American Songbook
• Dave Brubeck quartet
• The Sound Of The Music Of Richard Rodgers
• One hundred years Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley
• I’ve Heard That Song Before
• Richard Rodgers’ Songbook
• Bernstein Broadway Songbook
• Sinatra 100 – a man and his music

with the American Songbook orchestra led by Cor Bakker

• I Got Lyrics (Ira Gershwin)(Dolf de Vries)
• Sinatra’s Songbook
• Cole Porter’s Songbook

with the Skymasters

• Concert series at the Sonesta Koepelkerk

Miscellaneous

• The Song Is You
• Willem Nijholt Salutes Frank Sinatra
• Swing and Dance
• American Songbook concert series
• Satchmo, tribute to Louis Armstrong
• Too Marvelous for Words (Johnny Mercer)
• Laura Fygi in concert
• The Great American Christmas Songbook
• Sinatra, from 78 rpm to 78 years
• Salute to the 75-year-old Frank Sinatra
• Tribute To Ann Burton

Theater Specials

• All Or Nothing At All* – Slideshow on the occasion of the establishment of the International Sinatra Society Holland
• Geluk, Wieso Glück?
• Ramses ’97
• Akkerman Akoestisch
• Zing, Vecht, Huil, Bid, Lach, Werk en Bewonder, ode aan songwriter Ramses Shaffy (Tevens samenstelling van het Ramses Shaffy Songbook)
• Liedjes van Toon, tribute to songwriter Toon Hermans
• Top Of The World. Mariska van Kolck pays tribute to the Carpenters
• Moviestars. Mariska van Kolck pays tribute to the her favorite moviestars.

Radio

• Which Sinatra You Mean?(18 parts for AVRO, BRT, Concertzender)
• The Great American Songbook (90 parts for AVRO, BRT, NDR)
• Cole Porter, You’re The Top (BRT)
• The Christmas Song (AVRO, BRT)
• Irving Berlin Trilogy (Concertzender)
• Sinatra by Night (Concertzender)
• Songwriter specials, included concerts: Sammy Cahn, Cy Coleman, Alan en Marilyn Bergman, Jule Styne, Burton Lane, Burt Bacharach en Hal David, Betty Comden en Adolph Green.

CD-productions

• I’m A Singer – Wim Koopmans with the Metropole orchestra
• The Crooner – Hayati Kafé with the Metropole orchestra
• You’re the Top – cast recording (Edison Award)
• Ramses ’97
• My Funny Valentine
• There’s No Business Like Show Business – cast recording
• Zing-vecht-huil-bid-lach-werk en bewonder, tribute to Ramses
• Liedjes van Toon
• Top Of The World, tribute to the Carpenters

Several interviews with American songwriters and artists audio and video