(Performer/title, venue, city, month/year)
– Marianne Faithfull, Bottom Line, NYC, 1987
– Marianne Faithfull & The St. Luke Orchestra, St. Ann’s, Brooklyn, 1989
– “Garth Hudson & Friends”, St. Ann’s, Brooklyn, 1990
– “Greetings from Tim Buckley”, St. Ann’s, Brooklyn, 1991
– “Allen Ginsberg & Friends – Wicthita Vortex Sutra”, St. Marks Church, NYC [Date unknown]
– Tribute to Allen Ginsberg, Wadsworth Theater, Los Angeles, 1997
– “Nevermore: Poems & Stories of Edgar Allan Poe”, (St. Ann’s, Brooklyn, 1995); followed by “Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe”, (Royce Hall, Los Angeles, 2001) and “Hal Willner’s Halloween Show: Never Bet the Devil your Head”, (Royce Hall, Los Angeles, 2002)
– Marquis de Sade’s writings, St. Marks Church, NYC, 1998
– “Whoops, I’m An Indian”, Central Park, NYC, 1999
– “The Harry Smith Project”, South Bank Centre, London, July 1999; St. Ann’s, Brooklyn, Nov. 1999, and Royce Hall, L.A., April 2001
– “The Doc Pomus Project”, St. Marks Church, NYC, 2001; Prospect Park, July 2007
– “Came So Far for Beauty, An Evening of Songs by Leonard Cohen”, Prospect Park, Brooklyn 2003; The Brighton Dome, Brighton 2004; Sydney Opera House, 2005; The Point Theatre, Dublin, 2006
– “Dream Comfort Memory Despair: The Songs of Neil Young”, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 2004; followed by “Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project”, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Feb. 2010
– “Perfect Partners: Nino Rota & Federico Fellini”, The Barbican, London, 2004
– “Shock and Awe: The Songs of Randy Newman”, Royce Hall, Los Angeles, 2004
– “Let’s Eat: Feasting on The Firesign Theatre”, Royce Hall, Los Angeles, 2004; followed by a performance at the Stone, NYC, June 2016
– “Lou Reed’s Berlin”, St. Ann’s, 2006; followed by “Lou Reed – Berlin”, summer European tour, 2008
– “Forest of No Return: Hal Willner Presents Vintage Disney Songbook”, (Meltdown Festival, London 2007); followed by “Stay Awake: 20th anniversary of the classic recording of Disney songs”, St. Ann’s April 2008, and Royce Hall, L.A., October 2008
– “Rogue’s Gallery Live”, St. Ann’s, NYC, May 2007; followed by Grand Canal Square, Dublin, July 2008; The Barbican, London, July 2008; The Sage, Gateshead, July 2008; Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney, January 2010
– “Hal Willner’s Bill Withers Project”, Prospect Park, August 2008
– Keep A light in the window: An homage to Joel Dorn, Lincoln Center, August 2008
–“Ravishing Poe”, Lou Reed and guests, St. Ann’s, Dec. 2008
– “Begats: Readings of the Work of Burroughs, DeSade & Poe”, Issue Project Room, Brooklyn, April 2009
– “An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends”, Carnegie Hall, October, 2009
– Benefit for Tuli Kupferberg, St. Ann’s January 2010
– “Hal Willner’s I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues? Music and Readings from A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs”, Lincoln Center, January 2010
– “Your Angel Is Called +Freedom+” (30th anniversary of the birth of the Solidarity Movement at the Gdansk Shipyard) w/ Robert Wilson, Poland, August 31,2010
– “Hal Willner’s Freedom Riders Project”, Prospect Park, June 2011, Highline Ballroom, 2011
– “Shelebration: The Works of Shel Silverstein”, Central Park Summerstage, August 2011
– “Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota”, The Barbican, London, 2013
– Willner-curated week at the Stone, NYC, August 2014:
– reading of Lou Reed’s “The Raven”;
– The Return of “Whoops i’m An Indian”;
– “‘Give Me Your Hump’: Works by Terry Southern”;
– Terry Adams performance; Arch Oboler radio plays;
– Homage and Memories of Rahsaan Roland Kirk;
– “Allen Ginsberg, Poetry and Music”;
– “Allan Sherman, Songs and Schtick”
– “Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ is 60”, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, April 2015
– “Doing the Things That We Want To”, readings of Ginsberg, Kathy Acker, and Lou Reed with Willner and Chloe Webb, Live Arts Theater, April 2015; followed by performance at The Stone, NYC, June 2016
– “The Bells: A Day Long Celebration of Lou Reed”, (several concerts and readings) Lincoln Center, July 30, 2016
– A Tribute to George Martin, St. Ann’s, 2016 (NOTE: per St. Ann’s video tribute to Willner)
– Willner-produced shows at the Stone in Manhattan: 35-Year Anniversary of Amarcord Nino Rota; performances of material from Ken Nordine’s “Word Jazz”, & Del Close & John Brants’ “How To Speak Hip”; Whoops I’m An Indian performs a tribute to Joel Dorn; Allen Ginsberg – words and music; “Let’s Eat – Feasting on the Firesign Theater”; Garth Hudson concert; John Zorn’s Bagatelles: Jim Black Trio; “Doing the Things We Want To: Words and music of Kathy Acker, Allen Ginsberg & Lou Reed”, The Stone, NYC, June 2016
– “Hunter S. Thompson’s The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved”, Town Hall, NYC, May 2017
– “Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen”, Bell Center, Montreal, November 2017
– “Tomorrow is a Long Time”, recreation of Dylan’s Town Hall April 1963 concert, Town Hall, May 24, 2018 – this was Hal Willner’s last concert production to actually take place
– “Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota (New York City premiere)”, Lincoln Center, New York, July 2018
This concert was cancelled due to inclement weather and was later re-created posthumously in 2023, produced by Steve Bernstein for Roulette, to honor Hal’s memory
– “Bans Off My Body: A Benefit Concert for Planned Parenthood (A Hal Willner Production)”, Town Hall, New York, March 2020
Courtney Love & Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole), Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction) & Etty Farrell, Rachel Yamagata, Joan As Police Woman, Betty, and other special guests were scheduled to perform a Benefit Concert for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. This was a Hal Willner Production with Executive Producer Lawrence B. Benson.
The show was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Related:
– “White Town”, Robert Wilson theater piece, Willner as Project Manager, Copenhagen, 2003
– “Sting and Trudie Styler’s Rainforest Benefit”, Willner as Project Manager, Carnegie Hall, 2004
– Performance by “Hal Willner’s Parade”, (Yuka Honda & Sean Lennon) at The Stone, NYC, Dec. 2008
– Andy Kaufman music panel, Participant Inc, NYC, May 2013
– Ginsberg reading, Willner reads with Philip Glass on piano, The Stone, NYC, Feb 2011
– Captain Beefheart Symposium, Willner on panel, Knitting Factory, Knitting Factory, April 2011
– John Zorn Gala for Japan, Willner w. Philip Glass, NYC, April 2011
– Tune-In Music Festival commission – visuals by Ralph Steadman, reading by Hal Willner and Chloe Webb w/ Bill Frisell, Park Avenue Armory, Feb 2012
– Allen Ginsberg reading (two shows), Willner reads w. Philip Glass and Geri Allen accompanying on piano, The Stone, Sept. 26, 2012
– William Burroughs 100th Anniversary event, Willner on “tapes”, The Stone, April 20, 2014
– “Letter to a Man”, Music curated by Hal Willner, BAM, October 2016
– MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert, Willner gathered band, Playstation Theater, NYC, June 2017
– Tribute to Hal Willner, Roulette (Brooklyn), Oct 25, 2018
– Celebration of Ernie Kovacs’ Centennial, Anthology Film Archives, Willner on panel, Aug 2019
(thanks to Ed Grant for his help compiling this list)
POSTHUMOUS CONCERTS & EVENTS dedicated wholly or in part to HAL WILLNER
– Hal Willner’s Amarcord Nino Rota, Brooklyn NY, April 2023
Originally produced by Hal Willner and scheduled to happen at Lincoln Center outdoors in July of 2018, that concert was cancelled due to inclement weather. 5 years later, Steven Bernstein took it upon himself to re-create the same concert at Roulette, with almost the same line up of musicians, to celebrate Hal and pay tribute to the creative community that he fostered throughout his life and career. An ensemble of 19 musicians, including Bill Frisell, Laurie Anderson, Steven Bernstein, Teddy Thompson, and Curtis Stewart, brought these arrangements to life. Revisiting the material, one can hear echoes of it in all of Hal’s work, especially in the opening of Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films (1988), in which Ken Nordine invokes what could be a mission statement for both Fellini and Willner: “Damn it all… but the circus.”
– Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, December 2025
With musical director Steve Weisberg at the helm, this concert was co-produced by Jonathan Stein, Jess Gonchor, Dan Samuels, and Brett Richman. In the spirit of a Hal Willner show (who was a native of Philadelphia), this concert explored the music of the legendary Jewish American parody songwriter, Allan Sherman. The concert started with a 10-minute video dedicated to Hal Willner.