Before The Beatles told the world to ‘shake it up, baby’ or The McCoys asked Sloopy to ‘hang on,’ one man dreamed about being known. In the 1960s, Bert Berns was one of the most successful songwriters of his time, producing 51 hits in just 7 years. At the age of 38, Bert Berns died at the height of his career, leaving behind his children, his legend, and music that would live on forever. Piece of My Heart tells Bert’s triumphant and tragic story through the eyes of Jessie, the daughter he never knew. Experience what Rolling Stone calls “one of the great untold stories of rock and roll.” This world premiere musical pulls you into a journey of discovery told through his chart-topping hits (and some rare gems) including “Twist and Shout,” “I Want Candy,” “Hang on Sloopy,” and the immortal title song, “Piece of My Heart.” Meet the man you never knew through the music you’ve loved for years.
Production History »
Piece of My Heart has been developed over the past decade in and around New York City, including at two of New York’s leading not-for-profit theatre companies – New York Theatre Workshop (RENT) and New York Stage and Film (Hamilton). The musical premiered Off-Broadway at the Pershing Square Signature Center during the summer of 2014, where the limited engagement played 100 performances and was extended by popular demand.
The creative team completed new work following the widely acclaimed Off-Broadway production, and marquee producers Steven and Maureen Van Zandt, Paul Shaffer and Joe Grano joined the project. The producers of Piece of My Heart released the hit film BANG! The Bert Berns Story, and Bert was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Who is Bert Berns? »
Bert Berns was one of the great originals of the golden age of rhythm and blues. He first flourished as a staff producer at Atlantic Records, but Berns quickly developed into one of the leading record men of his day. He produced historic rhythm and blues records such as “Cry To Me” by Solomon Burke, “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters, and “Twist and Shout” by the Isley Brothers. Songs of his such as “Twist and Shout,” “Hang On Sloopy,” and “Piece of My Heart” have become the bedrock of modern music, recorded by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Otis Redding, among many others. As head of his own record label, Bang Records, he signed and supervised the first solo records by Neil Diamond and Van Morrison. Born and raised in the Bronx, Berns suffered rheumatic fever as a teenager — an early death sentence in those pre-open heart surgery days. He died at age 38 on December 30, 1967, at the height of his career. But the music of Bert Berns never died. His songs have been consistently covered by the biggest names in the music business, featured in movie soundtracks, and have inspired many imitations and tributes. Bert Berns was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Want More? »
Read the acclaimed Bert Berns biography, Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues, written by award-winning journalist and best-selling author Joel Selvin, published by Counterpoint Press.
See the documentary film BANG! The Bert Berns Story starring Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Van Morrison and Solomon Burke.
To learn more about Bert Berns, visit www.BertBerns.com
