TV Exclusive: Happy Birthday Michael Urie! BWW Visits Oz Performance!

On Monday night, January 20, 2014 BroadwayWorld.com kicked off our 10th anniversary celebration with a benefit for BC/EFA entitled BroadwayWorld.com Visits Oz. In celebration of Michael Urie's birthday today, we bring you a special clip of his performance. A longtime friend to BroadwayWorld.com, during his sold-out run of BUYER & CELLAR, he made time to come to JOE'S PUB to be part of our 10th Anniversary. At the event, he performed a special piece, written by BUYER & CELLAR Playwright's Jonathan Tolins, entitled MY PASSION FOR OZ.

The one-night only event was recorded and preserved on a CD and DVD set. The evening celebrated all things Oz, including material from L. Frank Baum's book The Wizard of Oz and all characters from its subsequent incarnations, including Wicked and The Wiz. Performers included Sierra Boggess, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michael Crawford, André De Shields, Jennifer Diamond, Kurt Domoney, Samia Finnerty, Mandy Gonzalez, Olivia Hardy, James Jarrott, Roslyn Kind, Norm Lewis, Andrea McArdle, Kathy Najimy, Ken Page, Richard Ridge, Natalie Toro, Michael Urie, Josh Walden, Jimmy Coogan, Luke Mannikus, Mitchell Sink, Nicky Torchia and cameos by the dogs from New York City's Animal Haven! The concert was directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Marybeth Abel, with a music team headed by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and featuring Damien Bassman on drums and Brian Hamm on bass.

Currently starring in Lincoln Center's Shows for Days opposite Patti LuPone, his Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Off-Broadway/National Tour/London productions of Buyer & Cellar (Drama Desk, Lortel, Clarence Derwent, LA Drama Critics awards). Off-Broadway: The Cherry Orchard, Angels in America, The Temperamentals (Drama Desk, Lortel, Theatre World awards).

Other New York Theater: Red Bull, Foundry, HERE. Regional: Old Globe, South Coast, Seattle Rep, Folger Shakespeare, Barrington Stage. Film: Beverly Hills Chihuahua, He's Way More Famous Than You (also director), WTC View, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, The Decoy Bride, Petunia, Such Good People, Thank You For Judging (co-director/producer). TV: Gavin Sinclair on "Modern Family," "Workaholics," "The Good Wife," "Hot in Cleveland," "Partners," Marc St. James on "Ugly Betty." Web series: Stage17's What's Your Emergency (director). Training: Juilliard.