Information About this Event
Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless
LI Premiere Screening: Sunday, May 19 at 7pm
“It’s always miraculous watching the human spirit transcend great adversity. People need to see this film. To be inspired by his courage and determination. To see how far John can go and what he can achieve in his life’s second act.”
At 25, Leonard Bernstein protégé John Bayless made his Carnegie Hall debut performing Rhapsody in Blue. His jaw-dropping technical prowess initiated a 30-year concert and recording career. At 54, a left-brain stroke immobilized his entire right side. The music stopped. John’s magical “first act” disappeared.
The award-winning documentary Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles John’s rise from four-year-old Texas prodigy to international stardom; his post-stroke struggle to transcend paralysis; and the indomitable spirit driving him to reinvent himself as a one-handed musician and storyteller.
The film’s showing is a homecoming of sorts, marking the fifth anniversary of John’s 2019 One Hand One Heart concert at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater. Landmark patrons will recognize portions of that concert in the film.
Following the film, enjoy a brief live performance by John Bayless.
A portion of the proceeds from each regular ticket will go to the John Bayless Fund for Brain Research.