Photo Coverage: 'Broadway for Medicine' Benefit

On Monday, March 12th, the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction (NFFR) presented "Broadway for Medicine," a gala concert at New York City Center featuring the best of Broadway coming together on one stage to benefit children with craniofacial differences.� The gala dinner took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel / Time Warner Building.

The evening was attended by 375 guests and raised $1.2 million.� The night included a celebration of sensational Broadway songs under the artistic direction of Carl Andress (A Wonderful Life, Shanghai Moon) and music direction of Grammy and Emmy-award winner John McDaniel (The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Brooklyn � the Musical), who conducted a 22-piece onstage orchestra.� This star-studded concert featured performances by Betty Buckley (Cats, The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Charles Busch (The Tale of the Allergist's Wife) Melissa Errico (Amour), Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd), Malcolm Gets (Amour), Deborah Gibson (Beauty and the Beast), Joanna Gleason (Into the Woods), Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins' Broadway), Julie Halston (Hairspray), Mimi Hines (Encores! Follies), Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera), Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line), Hugh Panaro (Lestat), Lisa Vroman (The Phantom of the Opera), Josh Strickland, Jenn Gambatese and Chester Gregory II (Tarzan), and Rosie's Broadway Kids.

The evening honored Valery Gergiev conductor of the Kirov Orchestra, David Parsons founder and choreographer of the Parsons Dance Company and the men's fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna.� The outstanding success of the past three NFFR "Arts for Medicine" events could not have been achieved without their creativity, dedication and hard work. A dinner followed the performance at Mandarin Oriental and featured Jamie Niven of Sotheby's who once again finished off the evening with a live auction to raise money for specific medical treatments for in-need children.�

Visit www.nffr.org for more information.

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Jenn Gambatese