Lane, LuPone, Garber et al. Celebrate Sondheim's 80th with Starry Benefit Gala, 4/26

Tom Aldredge, Len Cariou, Nathan Lane, Alexander Hanson and Michele Pawk have joined other stars who have shone in Stephen Sondheim musicals, including Michael Cerveris, Barbara Cook, Raúl Esparza, Sutton Foster, Victor Garber, Joanna Gleason, Patti LuPone, Donna Murphy and Bernadette Peters in a gala celebration of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Stephen Sondheim on the occasion of his 80th birthday on Monday, April 26. The gala, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle, will highlight numbers from shows for which Mr. Sondheim has written both music and lyrics, and will feature a full orchestra conducted by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman. The benefit will help fund New York City Center's artistic and education programs. In addition, a portion of the evening's proceeds will go to Young Playwrights Inc, a charity of great importance to Mr. Sondheim.

The birthday celebration cast (as of February 24, 2010) includes: Tom Aldredge, Len Cariou, Michael Cerveris, Barbara Cook, Claybourne Elder, Raúl Esparza, Sutton Foster, Victor Garber, Alexander Gemignani, Joanna Gleason, Alexander Hanson, Mark Jacoby, Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Michele Pawk, Bernadette Peters, Jim Walton, B.D. Wong and Chip Zien. [Please note: Angela Lansbury is no longer able to participate.]

The gala will begin at 6:00 pm with cocktails at City Center, 55th Street (between 6th & 7th Aves.), followed by the show at 7:00 pm. The evening will end with a post-performance dinner at The Plaza Hotel, 5th Ave. and Central Park South. [See below for complete ticket information.] Gala co-chairs are JoAnne Woodward, Bobbie and Lew Frankfort, Perry and Marty Granoff, Stacey and Eric Mindich, and Mary Jo and Ted Shen.

"I am so delighted to be invited to play some part in the celebrations for Stephen Sondheim," said John Doyle. "City Center is taking a look back, in concert, at moments from all the shows for which Steve wrote both the words and the music. Highlights will be sung by some of Broadway's most shining stars - all of whom either originated or revived major roles in these shows. We can never celebrate Steve enough. He has done more than any other artist to influence the development of musical theatre. This is simply City Center's way of saying, ‘Thank You'."
As a group, the gala's performers have appeared in over 75 Sondheim shows:

Tom Aldredge was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Doctor Tambourri in Passion. He also starred as The Narrator in Into The Woods.
Len Cariou created the title role in the original production of Sweeney Todd, winning a Tony Award for Best Actor. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Fredrik in A Little Night Music, a role he repeated in the 1977 film version.

Michael Cerveris won a Tony Award for his performance as John Wilkes Booth in Assassins. Other Sondheim roles include the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, Road Show at The Public Theater, Passion at the Kennedy Center, A Little Night Music at Chicago Shakespeare and Sunday in the Park With George at Ravinia.

Barbara Cook will star on Broadway this spring in Sondheim on Sondheim at Studio 54. Ms. Cook appeared as Sally in the renowned New York Philharmonic concert version of Follies. Her concert Mostly Sondheim played sold-out runs at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Theater and in London.

Claybourne Elder made his New York stage debut in Road Show at The Public Theater.

Raúl Esparza was nominated for the Tony Award for his performance as Bobby in the revival of Company. Other Sondheim roles include Sunday in the Park With George, Merrily We Roll Along at the Kennedy Center and Company at the Cincinnati Playhouse.

Sutton Foster will star in Anyone Can Whistle, the final Encores! production of the New York City Center 2009?10 season.

Victor Garber starred on Broadway in the original cast of Sweeney Todd, as John Wilkes Booth in the off-Broadway production of Assassins, as Wilson Mizner in the workshop production of Wise Guys (subsequently retitled Road Show), and as Ben in the acclaimed Encores! production of Follies.
Alexander Gemignani starred as Addison Mizner in Road Show at The Public Theater, in Assassins on Broadway, and in the Broadway revivals of Sunday in the Park With George and Sweeney Todd.

Joanna Gleason won the Tony Award for her performance as The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods.

Alexander Hanson is currently starring as Fredrik on Broadway in A Little Night Music, a role he also played in London.
Mark Jacoby starred as Judge Turpin in the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. He played Fredrik in the White Plains Performing Arts Center's production of A Little Night Music.

Nathan Lane won the Tony Award for his performance as Pseudolus in the 1998 revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and starred in The Frogs at Lincoln Center Theater. He played Addison Mizner in the workshop production of Wise Guys (subsequently retitled Road Show). He also sang a song written especially for him by Sondheim in the film The Birdcage.

Patti LuPone won the Tony Award for her performance as Rose in Gypsy, a performance and show that originated at the Encores! Summer Stars series in 2007. Ms. LuPone was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett in the revival of Sweeney Todd.

Debra Monk starred as Joanne in the Broadway revival of Company. Her other Sondheim credits include the off-Broadway production of Assassins and the Broadway benefit Children and Art.

Donna Murphy won the Tony Award for Passion and starred as Phyllis in the Encores! production of Follies.

Michele Pawk appeared in the off-Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along and at The Kennedy Center in Bounce (subsequently retitled Road Show). She also performed in the Broadway benefit Children and Art, and on the recording, Sondheim: The Stephen Sondheim Album.
Bernadette Peters was nominated for Tony Awards for her portrayals of Rose in Gypsy, Dot in Sunday in the Park With George, and The Witch in Into the Woods. Ms. Peters' CD, Sondheim, Etc. features highlights from her 1996 solo debut at Carnegie Hall.

Jim Walton starred as Franklin Shepard in the original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along and as Anthony in the 1989 revival of Sweeney Todd.

B.D. Wong starred in the 2004 Roundabout Theatre production of Pacific Overtures and performed in the Broadway benefit Children and Art.
Chip Zien played The Baker in the original Broadway production of Into the Woods.

John Doyle has garnered great acclaim for his fresh interpretation of Sondheim's works. His 2004 staging of Sweeney Todd was a big hit in London and was remounted on Broadway, winning Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Direction. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Outstanding Direction for his revival of Company. Most recently, Doyle directed Sondheim's Road Show at The Public Theater.

Rob Berman is entering his third season as Music Director of Encores!. Mr. Berman won a Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical Direction for his work on the Kennedy Center's production of Sunday in the Park With George. He was also Music Director of the Sondheim revue Opening Doors at Zankel Hall.

Stephen Sondheim will celebrate his 80th birthday on March 22, 2010. Mr. Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Road Show (2003), Passion (1994), Assassins (1991), Into the Woods (1987), Sunday in the Park With George (1984), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sweeney Todd (1979), Pacific Overtures (1976), The Frogs (1974), A Little Night Music (1973), Follies (1971), Company (1970), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), as well as lyrics for Gypsy (1959), West Side Story (1957), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965), and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). He has won Tony Awards for Best Score for a Musical for Passion, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Follies, and Company. Sunday in the Park With George received the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President and CEO) has long been known and beloved by New York audiences not only as one of the city's preeminent performing art institutions but also as an accessible and welcoming venue for dance and theater. New York City Center produces the Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series, and is home to some of the country's leading dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Paul Taylor Dance Company, as well as Manhattan Theatre Club, one of New York's leading theater companies. In 2004, New York City Center launched the acclaimed Fall for Dance Festival, continuing to fulfill its mission to make the arts accessible to the broadest possible audience. In 2006, New York City Center formed a partnership with London's Sadler's Wells Theatre to facilitate the exchange of innovative dance works. In 2007, New York City Center introduced the Encores! Summer Stars series with the critically acclaimed production of Gypsy¸ starring Patti LuPone, which subsequently enjoyed a successful run on Broadway. This was followed in 2008 by Damn Yankees, starring Sean Hayes and Jane Krakowski, and this past summer's The Wiz, starring Ashanti.

Sponsorship and tickets to the benefit are available by calling 212-763-1205. Support levels are:

Vice Chairman Table for ten: $50,000
Golden Benefactor Table for ten: $25,000
Silver Benefactor Table for ten: $15,000
Benefactor Ticket: $2,500
Patron Ticket: $1,500 - sold out
Sponsor Ticket: $500

Tickets to the benefit show only are $25, $60, $85 and $250, and are available at the New York City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix® at 212-581-1212, or online at www.NYCityCenter.org. Program and artists subject to change.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride