Broderick, Lane Host Vineyard Theatre Gala 2/28; Tix on Sale 2/9

The Tony Award-winning stars Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane will be joined by a host of special guests when they serve as Masters of Ceremonies for the Vineyard Theatre Gala honoring the five-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman at the company's annual benefit on Monday, February 28 at 6:00pm at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel (145 W. 44 St.) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director of the Vineyard Theatre.

A limited number of seats to the performance-only portion of the Gala will go on sale Wednesday, February 9 at the Vineyard box office.  The performance begins at 8:30 p.m.  Mezzanine seats that include  a cocktail reception starting at 7:30 are available for $125, while balcony seats for the show only are $75. A limited number of $300 premium box seats are also on sale.

On hand to honor Ms. Stroman will be a bevy of performers with whom she has worked through the years, including Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Roger Bart and Gary Beach, all of whom starred in THE PRODUCERS; Joshua Henry and the cast of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS; Boyd Gaines and Leigh Zimmerman from CONTACT; Rebecca Luker from THE MUSIC MAN and SHOW BOAT; Karen Ziemba from CRAZY FOR YOU; Debra Monk from STEEL PIER; Veanne Cox from FLORA, THE RED MENACE; Colman Domingo from THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS; Craig Bierko from THE MUSIC MAN; and Fred Applegate from HAPPINESS.  More participants are still to be announced.

Also on hand to honor Susan Stroman will be John Kander, whose musical THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, written with the late Fred Ebb, debuted last year at The Vineyard  - where it received the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and Ms. Stroman received one for Outstanding Choreography - prior to its transfer this fall to the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.  Ms. Stroman previously choreographed The Vineyard's revival of Kander and Ebb's musical FLORA, THE RED MENACE, which was her first collaboration with Kander, Ebb and book writer David Thompson.

The Gala will feature performances from THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, THE PRODUCERS, CONTACT, CRAZY FOR YOU, the revival of FLORA, THE RED MENACE and more.

Mr. Broderick and Mr. Lane, who co-starred in the Mel Brooks musical and movie THE PRODUCERS, for which Ms. Stroman won two Tony Awards as director and choreographer in 2001, will host the evening.

In addition to THE PRODUCERS, Ms. Stroman also received Tony Awards as choreographer for CRAZY FOR YOU, SHOWBOAT and CONTACT.  Her other Broadway credits include OKLAHOMA!, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUSIC MAN and STEEL PIER. She directed HAPPINESS at Lincoln Center Theater.  Along with the Tony Awards, her work has been honored with Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Lucille Lortel, George Abbott and Astaire Awards.

One of the nation's leading non-profit theatre companies dedicated to new plays and musicals and bold programming, The Vineyard has consistently premiered provocative, groundbreaking works including the Pulitzer Prize-winning productions of Edward Albee's THREE TALL WOMEN and Paula Vogel's HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, Tarell Alvin McCraney's WIG OUT!, The Civilians' THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, Nicky Silver's PTERODACTYLS and RAISED IN CAPTIVITY, the Laura Nyro musical ELI'S COMIN', A BOY AND HIS SOUL, written and performed by Colman Domingo,  Adam Rapp's THE METAL CHILDREN, the recently acclaimed world premiere of Will Eno's MIDDLETOWN and presently Zach Helm's INTERVIEWING THE AUDIENCE through February 27 at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.).

Vineyard Theatre is the recipient of the Tony Award for the musical AVENUE Q and continues as producer of the musical's current production at New World Stages in New York. The Vineyard produced the world-premiere of the musical THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, book by David Thompson, with direction and choreography Susan Stroman - in March 2010 and recently on Broadway.  The Vineyard also produced the musical [title of show] by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen both off and on Broadway.

Douglas Aibel is Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre; Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell is Executive Director.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos