BWW Nothing Like a Dame Special: Jill Eikenberry

BroadwayWorld.com presents the fourth in a series of Broadway profiles leading up to the 12th Annual "Nothing Like a Dame" benefit, presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on March 19, 2007 at 8:00 PM at the Marquis Theatre (1565 Broadway).  "Nothing Like a Dame" benefits the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of The Actors' Fund of America.

Eikenberry's long list of theater, feature film, and TV credits include the portrayal of activist counselor, Ann Kelsey on NBC-TV hit series "L.A. Law" for which she earned four Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Golden Globe award. She reprised her role on "LA Law -- The Movie" on NBC.  Her Broadway credits include Moonchildren, Watch on the Rhine, Summer Brave, Onward Victoria and All Over Town, directed by Dustin Hoffman. She appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions including Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women, in which she also appeared opposite Meryl Streep in the PBS-TV version, and Tennessee Williams' Eccentricities of a Nightingale, as well as Lemon Sky by Lanford Wilson and Life Under Water by Richard Greenberg, both of which earned her an Obie Award. Most recently, she starred in Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso at the Manhattan Theatre Club. She also performed in The Vagina Monologues at the Theater on the Square in San Francisco and starred in the Marin Theater Company's production of The Last Schwartz by Deborah Zoe Lauffer.  A graduate of the Yale Drama School, Eikenberry has also appeared in numerous films and regional theatre productions.

The benefit will also feature Liz Callaway, Victoria Clark, Kate Clinton, Joyce DiDonato, Ana Gasteyer, Melissa Errico, Sutton Foster, Jenn Gambatese, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Milena Govich, Jennifer Holliday, Judy Kuhn, Beth Leavel, Julianna Margulies, Maureen McGovern, Varla Jean Merman, Julia Murney, Bebe Neuwirth, Lynn Redgrave, Lea Salonga, Jennifer Smith, Julie White, Tika Sumpter, young dancers of the Westchester Dance Academy, the women of In the Heights, and the women of Company.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American Theatre community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $130 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.

The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative dedicates a range of resources solely to addressing the health needs and concerns specific to women in the entertainment industry, providing direct services and financial assistance to many women who are often without health insurance. The Initiative has helped clients confront breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers; domestic violence, chemical dependency, mental health, and other conditions. Inspired by actor/director Phyllis Newman, a breast cancer survivor, The Women's Health Initiative was launched in 1996 with the leadership of Broadway Cares. The Initiative provides comprehensive case management services, caring for women with a wide array of health-related concerns, including breast, ovarian, and other cancers; domestic violence; anorexia and bulimia; HIV and AIDS; menopause; substance abuse; Lupus; depression; mental health issues; chronic fatigue syndrome; and osteoporosis.

Visit www.broadwaycares.org for tickets and more information.

Photo of Jill Eikenberry by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.