Librettist Arthur Laurents signed on to producer David Merrick's musicalization of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee's autobiography when he realized the show should really not be about her, but about her impossible stage mother. Young Stephen Sondheim and veteran tunesmith Jule Styne were then forced to pair up by the dictates of star Ethel Merman and went on to write one the most memorable scores in Broadway history.

One attendee will win a pair of tickets to see the production of Gypsy at the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort.

Charles Troy’s 60 multimedia presentations tell the stories behind the greatest Broadway musicals and songwriters of the 20th century, in seamless visual programs with his own original graphics, and a scripted narrative that weave the events into cohesive, dramatic tales. He's been featured twice in the Chicago Tribune, and regularly gives his presentations in Florida and NYC, as well as monthly at the Skokie Theatre.