Legendary composer Leonard Bernstein's daughter moves audience to tears in Reading
Conway Lynch - Reading Eagle
March 1, 2020
Jamie Bernstein can remember the exact moment she realized how famous her father was.
“It happened when my brother, sister and me were watching 'The Flintstones,' and Betty and Wilma were going to the Hollyrock Bowl to hear Leonard Bernstone conduct.”
On Sunday at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading, Jamie Bernstein, legendary composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein’s first daughter, addressed a crowd of her father's fans. The event was part of Literatour Berks, presented by the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks. Literatour is a community-wide celebration of authors and books.
In her book “Famous Father Girl,” Bernstein offers readers a look at her father, her relationship with him, and her relationship with music. Her insightful and funny booktalk moved the audience to tears and laughter.
Born in 1952, Jamie Bernstein’s childhood coincided with the crescendo of her father’s career. Their apartment in New York City sat just across the street from Carnegie Hall, where Leonard Bernstein conducted for many years.
Amid the famous
The speaker recalled some of the memories she gained growing up in that apartment. While she didn’t know it at the time, huge names in art, dance, theater, film and music were often guests at her home.
“There we were living at the epicenter of mid-20th century culture in New York City, and all those representatives were coming through our door, sitting at our dinner table and playing word games in the living room,” Bernstein said.