"Show Tunes" for flute and piano

Gary Schocker: "Show Tunes" for flute and piano was written in 2003 and published in 2004 by the Theodore Presser Company. The work is dedicated to Jonathan Keeble, Professor of Flute at the University of Illinois. It was premiered by Jonathan Keeble (flute) and Gary Schocker (piano) during the 2003–2004 season. Keeble is known for his robust, "American" style of playing, which Schocker utilized to mirror the bold projections of Broadway performers.
According to Theodore Presser’s program notes, Schocker intended these pieces to sound like "real show tunes" from a non-existent musical. Each movement follows a theatrical archetype: the Overture sets the stage, the Soliloquy is the dramatic "confession" of a character, and the Finale is the celebratory ensemble number.
While the official Theodore Presser Company score uses formal theatrical names, the Gaspar Hoyos recording (and Schocker's own program notes) often use more evocative, character-based titles:
1. Overture / "Oohlala!" (A French-sounding tune)
2. Soliloquy / "If only…" (In his program notes, Schocker explains that the middle movement, "If only...", is modeled after the classic "I Want" number in Broadway musicals (like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow")
3. Finale / "Opening Night!" (reflects the excitement and "razzle-dazzle" energy of a show's premiere).
2003 was a defining year for Schocker in the theater world. His musical Far From the Madding Crowd (based on the Thomas Hardy novel) was gaining significant traction and was recorded that year with a Broadway cast. "Show Tunes" was his way of bringing that "Broadway pit" energy into the concert hall.