About Us

Growing up in Berkeley, Larry sang in church choirs and the school chorus, coming forward to perform solos as his voice matured. Larry sang in high school with the locally famous Berkeley Harmoneers, and later chosen to sing with the renowned choral director Jester Harrison and the state-wide chorus at the University of the Pacific. Larry eventually entered the family business and his love of music sometimes focused on crooning a tune to a lovely girl. Time passed, and soon the complexities of his family, his wonderful children, and his business prevailed.

Merle grew up in the Midwest, and had the wonderful opportunity to study with Julie and Sulie Harrand, two sisters who cut their teeth on The Borscht Belt in the Catskills of New York. Merle was bitten by the theater bug, and performance has been a passion ever since. On completion of studies at The University of Illinois, Merle became a well-known radio personality, “Halavah”, at the Chicago station WSDM/FM, working for the famed record producer Leonard Chess (A wonderful book, Spinning Blues into Gold tells the story of the legendary Chess Brothers & Chess Records). Time passed and the call of California was heard, and loudly. The time was the Summer of Love. Merle came out West, and continued her university studies. While pursuing an advanced degree in Educational Psychology, her love of performance prevailed and she performed Commedia Del Arte at the Renaissance Pleasure Fairs and obtained notoriety as Elizabeth Barrett Browning during her annual performances at the great Dickens’s Faire. There was a brief flirtation in the movies, on “The Sicilian Cross” with Stacey Keach and Roger Moore. Merle continued performing in community theater and continued studies in Theater: in London with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and closer to home, the American Conservatory Theater and the Berkeley Repertory Theater.

Merle’s career as a psychologist, her family and the business eventually tipped the scales, and for many years she continued her love of theater as an appreciative audience member.

Then in 2001 Merle and Larry joined the Berkeley Broadway Singers and the rest is history and future.
BERKELEY BROADWAY SINGERS

Along our road we met so many wonderful, talented, studied and caring individuals who helped us to be the artists we are today: Champagne and Roses to all of you!!!

Ellen Hoffman: friend and mentor and Music Director of the Berkeley Broadway Singers, as well as a fantastic composer and artist at the piano. Ellen arranged and performed six pieces on our CD. You can hear her original accompaniments/arrangements, adding sometimes haunting, sometimes joyous melodies as the songs inspire.
ELLEN HOFFMAN MUSIC

Joshua Finkel: a friend, a mentor, a Broadway and television performer who has worked with us on dialogue and presentation for the CD and our live performances. The Creative Combustion Acting Studio, visit:
JOSHUA FINKEL

John Florencio: a talented and innovative arranger and musician. You can hear his playing and arrangements on three numbers on our CD. John has played music around the world, from Malaysia to Paris and Moscow. As a child prodigy, at five years of age, he played for Imelda Marcos in the Philippines.

Reenie Raschke: she provided the photography and played our music while we laughed and danced through our photo shoot.
REENIE RASCHKE

Bond Bergland: recording and mixing engineer, Bond provided technical detail and a calm, easy, mellow recording environment at San Pablo Recorders in Berkeley.

Paul: at Montclair 1 Hour Photo: Who always gave us the extra time needed to edit our photos.

And last but not least We Say a BIG Thank YOU to all the wonderful and talented musicians who accompanied us on our CD.