Rob Berman and Seymour "Red" Press to Step Down From New York City Center Encores!

New York City Center Encores! will say farewell to two of its longtime creative team members, as musical director Rob Berman and music coordinator Seymour "Red" Press depart at the end of this season.

Berman has been part of the Encores! music department since 2001, and became official musical director in 2008. In his tenure, he worked on more than 30 productions, conducted six Encores! cast recordings, and overseen several score restorations, most notably, Cole Porter's The New Yorkers. His final full-time Encores! production will be Into the Woods this May, and it is expected that he will return as a guest artist in the future.

Press, a recipient of a Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre, has worked on more than 100 Broadway productions, including the original Gypsy, Pippin, and Dreamgirls. He began working as the orchestra contractor and music coordinator for Encores! since the inception of the series in 1994, and also played saxophone and woodwinds in the orchestra for many years. His retirement, at the age of 98, will also be at the end of this season.

Successors are still to be announced, to join artistic director Lear deBessoent and producing creative director Clint Ramos in the new creative team.