Fran Lebowitz Joins 'LEGENDS' Gala Reading 3/23

Friends In Deed has announced that famed author Fran Lebowitz has joined the upcoming One Night Only staged reading benefit of the infamous Broadway-play-that-wasn't, LEGENDS!.

She will take the stage with fellow legends Charles Busch, Whoopi Goldberg and Lypsinka in the first-ever New York presentation of the play by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner James Kirkwood (A Chorus Line), which will be presented on Monday evening, March 23 at 8PM at Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street).

Directed by Mark Waldrop, the presentation will feature a script that has been adapted for this reading by John Epperson. Also starring Bryan Batt ("Mad Men") with additional casting to be announced, the special event is a benefit for Friends In Deed - The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness^TM.

Ms. Lebowitz will serve as the evening's narrator.

In additional LEGENDS! news, the Town Hall Box Office opens Monday, March 2 at 12 Noon.

A hilarious comedy about two glamorous, Hollywood has-beens and arch-rivals forced to consider working together on a new project to resuscitate their careers, LEGENDS! is one of the most notorious theatrical properties ever written - notably for what happened behind-the-scenes.

Originally presented in a 1986 year-long, pre-Broadway tour starring Carol Channing and Mary Martin, it closed on the road before making it to New York. The juicy on and off-stage antics were chronicled and immortalized in playwright James Kirkwood's own non-fiction account, Diary of a Mad Playwright: Perilous Adventures on the Road with Mary Martin and Carol Channing. In 2007, the play was again presented as a pre-Broadway national tour, this time helmed by "Dynasty" co-stars Joan Collins and Linda Evans. Also failing to make it to New York, the production had its backstage wars chronicled in lurid detail by Ms. Collins in a two-part series in London's Daily Mail.

Fran Lebowitz first hit the New York literary scene in the early 1970s when Andy Warhol hired her to write a column for Interview. Almost immediately, she became a mainstay in the magazine world. As a regular contributor to both Interview and Mademoiselle, she soon became a name associated with irreverent humor and urban wit, often cited as a modern-day Dorothy Parker. In 1978, she published a book of essays entitled Metropolitan Life. She followed this with a second book, in 1981, of equally sardonic essays, Social Studies. Both books were New York Times best-sellers. The two titles were reissued in the single volume The Fran Lebowitz Reader and she is also the author of a children's book, Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas. A regular guest on late night talk shows, she has also appeared in the semi-recurring role of Judge Janice Goldberg on "Law & Order."

Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning actor, writer, director and drag legend Charles Busch (star of the film adaptation of his play Die Mommie Die and author of Broadway's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife) will take on the role of former film fatale, Sylvia Glenn.
Award-winning actor, writer, fashionista and lip-synching pioneer who defies categorization Lypsinka (I Could Go On Lip-Synching!, The Passion of the Crawford, his recent Medea-based play My Deah) will sink her claws into the part of the seemingly-saintly Leatrice Monsee.

Rounding out the trio is Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning icon Whoopi Goldberg (star of Ghost, producer of Thoroughly Modern Millie, host of AMC's "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel" and the album Whoopi Goldberg; plus current moderator of ABC's "The View"), who will essay the role of the quick-witted servant Aretha.

"Mad Men" series regular Bryan Batt (as closeted art director Salvatore Romano) will play Martin Klemmer, the producer scheming to get the two film stars to work together. No stranger to the stage, he's been featured in nearly a dozen Broadway shows (La Cage aux Folles, Sunset Boulevard, Beauty & the Beast) and created the role of Darius in the stage and film versions of Jeffrey.

LEGENDS! is being directed by Mark Waldrop, whose credits include Bea Arthur on Broadway and the Drama Desk Award-winning Off-Broadway revue When Pigs Fly, for which he also provided book and lyrics. As a lyricist, he is the recipient of the prestigious Edward Kleban Award.

Set Designer is three-time Emmy Award winner Ray Klausen, Costume Designer is Fabio Toblini and Lighting & Sound Designer and Production Manager is Matt Berman. Choreography is by Josh Rhodes. Costumes will be made by Eric Winterling, Inc., Euroco Costumes, Inc., Studio Rouge and Tricorne, Inc. Hairstyles are by Katherine Carr and Gerard Kelly.

Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks, and the evening will also feature some onstage surprises.

Tickets ($100, $75 and $60) are currently available through TicketMaster at www.ticketmaster.com or (212) 307-4100. $250 VIP Seating, which will include admission to an after-party, is currently available by calling (800) 996-5433.

Beginning Monday, March 2, Town Hall box office hours will be Monday through Saturday, 12 Noon - 6PM.

Founded by Mike Nichols and Cynthia O'Neal in 1991, Friends In Deed - The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness^TM - has helped transform many thousands of lives through a wide array of free programs and services. It provides emotional and spiritual support for anyone diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening physical illnesses. Support is also available for family, friends, and caregivers of those who are ill, and anyone dealing with grief and bereavement. Friends In Deed also runs an HIV prevention program for teens in NYC public schools, having already reached over 100,000 at-risk students. All services are free of charge.

For more information, visit www.friendsindeed.org or call (212) 925-2009.