Egan, Morrison, Etc. Set for L.A. 'Chess' Benefit in Sept.

A benefit performance of Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' Chess, produced by Brian Michael Purcell, slated for The Ford Amphitheatre, September 17th, 2007, will raise funds, in which part of the proceeds will go to for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The show, which centers around a chess championship involving an American and a Russian, will feature musical direction by Dan Redfield (Little Women) and choreography by A.C. Ciulla (Footloose, Tony nomination).

The event will star Tony-nominee Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, Triumph of Love), Kevin Earley (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Miserables), Cindy Robinson (Into The Woods, Carousel, Peter Pan), Thomas Griffith (The Best Little Whorehouse Texas, 1776 at Hollywood Bowl), Tom Schmid (Annie Get Your Gun, The Last Empress) and Matthew Morrison (The Light in the Piazza, Hairspray tour, 10 Million Miles).

The event will be presented in honor of director and choreographer Jim Alexander, who died on May 25th.  Alexander was the former Producing Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.  He received numerous awards and critical acclaim for his productionsof West Side Story, Song and Dance, The Pirates of Penzance, A Chorus Line, Evita, Godspell, The World Goes 'Round, Man of La Mancha, An Inspector Calls, Always...Patsy Cline, Peter Pan, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Die Fledermaus, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on The Roof and Jesus Christ Superstar.  He had most recently directed Song and Dance: Tell Me on a Sunday, starring his wife, Cindy Robinson, which opened on February 24th, 2007 in The Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood. He was also the Founder and CEO of The Quest Theatre Company.

Producer Purcell wrote: "After the show that night (Song and Dance) we all went out for dinner and Jim and I started talking about the theatre business. It was like I was talking with another me. In the midst of our conversation Jim brings up that the next show he wanted to produce which was Chess.  Originally, Jim had talked to me about playing Freddie opposite Cindy in the production and I was very much interested. I also told him that I have a production company and why don't we co-produce. He became very interested.

We came to an agreement about ideas for the cast, the look and concept of the show, etc. For the next month we had numerous lunch and phone meetings, we even looked at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood and fell in love with space and put a hold on it. Everything was going smoothly and the collaboration was on. I felt like we had been working with each other for years....(On the morning I learned that) Jim Alexander had suffered a fatal heart attack, I was speechless and cried for hours. I had not only lost a partner and mentor but a close friend. I could not even imagine how Cindy was feeling. But out of the darkest moments must come the light. I drove to the Ford that morning and put down the deposit for the show. I pulled myself as an actor out of the show and now I was in Jim's shoes as Director and Producer. This is what Jim wanted and what he lived for. So there was no way I was not going to put this show on. It had meaning before being a fundraiser for BC/EFA, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, but now it has even more meaning and heart! We are doing this in the memory of Jim Alexander husband, father, friend, producer, director and mentor to everyone he met."

More information will be announced at a later date.

Photo - Susan Egan