Ronald Reagan

“ Musical theater is an American art form that has been part of our lives for over a century. The songs are a true expression of the era in which they were written, but they also evoke something eternal in the American ethos-echoing our joy in good years, reflecting our sadness in difficult ones, and lifting our spirits in times of challenge.
Jerome D. Kern, one of the founding fathers of the American musical theater, whose centenary we observe this year, is widely honored for his many contributions to this uniquely American art form. ”

“ His prodigious body of work-over 1,000 songs and 108 complete scores for Broadway shows and Hollywood films-forms a major part of the core of musical theater as we know it in America and as it has spread throughout the world. ”