Additional performances included Racey and Ziemba in “Shall We Dance” (no, not that one) from Crazy for You; “Cool” from West Side Story; an excerpt of the Oklahoma “Dream Ballet,” by the New York Theatre Ballet; Leiber and Stoller’s “On Broadway”; and 42nd Street’s opening audition scene, led by Randy Skinner, who had choreographed the 2001 revival but used Gower Champion's original choreography here.
And for something completely different, the Nanjing Acrobatic Duo of An Nan and Zhu Zhengzhen dazzled with a piece they do in the Big Apple Circus. In a novelty blending of ballet and Chinese acrobatics, An performed arabesques and other ballet moves en pointe while balancing on Zhu’s back, shoulders and, finally, head (pictured, right).
George de la Peña and Mark Baird talked about the assistance they’d received from CTFD when they decided to stop dancing. Gala producer Ann Marie DeAngelo gave a similar testimonial on behalf of Leda Meredith, who DeAngelo said wasn’t speaking for herself because she’d just had knee surgery and didn’t want to hobble onto the stage. Career Transition for Dancers, founded in 1985, provides resources, networking, counseling, scholarships and grants to dancers who are moving into other professions.
The final award of the evening—the grand prize, you might say—was presented by Brooke Shields to Tommy Tune, who brought back memories of My One and Only by crooning “’S Wonderful” and dancing to “Embraceable You” (pictured, left). Shields spoke of how Tune was instrumental in her career transition from Hollywood celebrity to Broadway performer by casting her (stuntcasting, she admitted) in the 1990s Grease revival, which he produced. Tune, who’s celebrating his 50th year in show business, made a charming acceptance speech and, holding up his award of a Rolex watch, quipped “There’s no present like the time.”
He then confided (facetiously?) that the finale had not been rehearsed, so he and the cast would quickly do so now in full view of the audience. The curtain went up, Tune taught them all the combination, curtain came back down, and Tune recited a poem he remembered from the program of his first dance recital, at age 5 in Houston. That was the cue for the finale: Tune launched into “It’s Not Where You Start,” which he’d sung on Broadway in Seesaw, and then everyone—Lansbury and Shields included—danced, just as Tune had just taught them. Bravo! (See below for finale photos.)
We have to give credit to the dancers in the ensembles. In “Cool” they were: Joey Calveri, Stuart Capps, Leo Ash Evens, Stephanie Fittro, Shiloh Goodin, Ryan Jackson, Logan Keslar, Jamie Markovich, Kiira Schmidt, Matthew Steffens and Ryan Worsing. In “Two Lost Souls”: David Baum, Jimmy Ray Bennett, Robert Bianca, Rachel Coloff, Mary Ann Lamb, Pamela Otterson, Adam Perry, Karine Plantadit, T. Oliver Reid, Jon Rua and Chandra Lee Schwartz. And the t-t-terrific tappers of 42nd Street: Jeremy Benton, Brandon Bieber, Sara Brians, James Gray, Billy Griffin, Jordan Grubb, Tiffany Howard, AJ Hughes, Angela Kahle, Robin Levine, Joseph Medeiros, Emily Morgan, Alison Paterson, Colin Pritchard, Katie Rooney, John Scacchetti, Erin West, Anna Aimee White and Worsing. As I said, bra-vo!
The performance was followed by dinner, dancing and a live auction at the nearby Hilton. Items up for bid included tickets to the Vanity Fair Oscars party, a walk-on role in In the Heights, a New Year’s Eve champagne and dessert party for 20 in a room overlooking Times Square, and vacations in Italy, France, Napa Valley and Park City. Attendees went home with a Capezio bag packed with dancer gear and other gifts. Presenting sponsor of the “On Broadway!” gala was Rolex, with major underwriting provided by Condé Nast Publications and the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation. The event raised $1.085 million for CTFD.
Tune shows everybody what to do for the finale.
Brooke Shields (second from right in front) joins in the finale, next to David Warren Gibson (right).
Tune (in foreground, left) leads (from left) Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, Randy Skinner and the rest of the cast in the big sendoff!
Brooke Shields, David Warren Gibson, Angela Lansbury and Tommy Tune take a choreographed bow with the ensemble.
For BroadwayWorld’s photo coverage from the Hilton, click here. For photo coverage of the dress rehearsal, click here. All photos in this story by Adrienne Onofri.
