Inspired by American composer Irving Berlin, Orange County resident Jennifer Hart played in front of a sold-out crowd on Feb. 29 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, as part of their 2024 season’s weekly musical performances.

A one-woman-show production, “The Life and Music of Irving Berlin,” brought the famed composer’s life to existence, as Hart and her piano played the Oscar winning songwriter’s major hits that made him famous before the age of 30.

“It was just phenomenal,” said attendee Michele Newsum of Hart’s production. “She is a performer with so much heart, it was just wonderful being here watching this amazing performance.”

Hart provided insight to Berlin’s life in her show through interactive storytelling and her ability to work the crowd to incorporate the audience in her show. According to Newsum, Hart’s act belongs at Carnegie Hall.

“In July of 1922, Berlin got word that his mother took her final breath,” said Hart during Thursday’s performance, which received a synchronized “aww” from the audience. “He was completely alone. First, he lost his father, then his beautiful wife Dorothy. He didn’t like being alone.”

During Berlin’s 60-year career, he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs which included musical scores for 20 original Broadway shows. He also contributed to 15 Hollywood films with eight of his songs being nominated for Academy Awards.

Coming from a music loving family with no television on a farm in Iowa inspired Hart and her four older sisters to take up music lessons. “We all took piano lessons, and we all played an instrument in the school band,” said Hart.

In the eighth grade, the musical sisters won a local televised talent show which provided the desire for Hart to continue her musical aspiration through college as a music major.

Unfortunately, as she mentioned, the only vocal training college offered was just classical music. Opera was not something she wanted to do, so she got a teaching degree instead.

After graduating college, Hart taught music at an elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for three years but singing was her true passion, so she headed west to Los Angeles.

The music business in LA was not what she expected, and she quickly found out that there were so many talented people competing for one spot. Hart said she decided to re-route, and took off to Denver where she sold advertising at a radio station. “I sold advertising to a new jazz club in Denver, and they asked me to perform every Tuesday for a month,” said Hart.

Hart’s performances have taken her to Europe, performing at restaurants and hotels. Over a summer on a cruise ship, another summer at a hotel in Singapore until coming back to California, originally Palm Springs, and now Orange County.

Thanks to Hart’s fans, the Muck’s main room was completely filled, and the surplus of attendees relied on viewing the show from the lobby and side doors of the egress hallway.

“There’s No Business-Like Show Business,” was the musical number played that garnered the most attention from the sold-out crowd, swaying back and forth and going lyric for lyric with Hart.

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center will host The Latsos next, an internationally known American classical piano husband and wife duo, on Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.