Lansbury and Friends Pay Tribute to Terrence McNally, 3/28

Angela Lansbury and Friends (and what incredible friends she has!), an all-star salute to Terrence McNally, has been announced for Monday, March 28, 2011 at the Longacre Theatre at 7 pm. A benefit for The Acting Company, Ms. Lansbury has gathered Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, Tyne Daly, Edie Falco, Roger Rees and Raul Esparza who will sing, share memories and recreate scenes from dozens of McNally hits. John Glover, Marin Mazzie, Joyce DiDonato, Malcolm Gets, Emily Skinner, Alexandra Silber, Bobby Steggert, Jason Danieley and Stephen Bogardus will round out the evening.

"I am thrilled to do this for both Terrence, who brought me back to Broadway in Deuce, and The Acting Company, for which I have worked for almost 40 years." said Ms. Lansbury who chairs The Acting Company's Artistic Advisory Board and is recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Terrence McNally who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy and the Lucille Lortel Award has written for the theater, opera, movies and television. His enormous and varied body of work includes Ragtime, The Full Monty, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, The Ritz, The Rink, Witness, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Chorpus Christi, The Lisbon Traviata, Lips Together, Teeth Apart and over 30 other critically-acclaimed works.

The evening is written and directed by John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company); Mary-Mitchell Campell (The Addams Family) serves as Musical Director - both have previously helmed Acting Company Salutes to Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb and Rodgers (Richard), Rodgers (Mary) and Guettel (Adam).

Founded in 1972 by John Houseman, current Producing Artistic Director Margot Harley, Kevin Kline and Patti LuPone, The Acting Company has been honored with a Tony Award for sustained excellence. Its 2009 production of its commissioned adaptation of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was selected as the 4th best play of the year by TIME Magazine.

Some of America's finest actors have begun their careers with The Acting Company including Rainn Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Jesse L Martin, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, David Ogden Stiers, Keith David, Mr. Kline and Ms. LuPone. The Company's upcoming New York Season featuring The Comedy of Errors is part of Shakespeare @ Pace, a festival which also includes productions by Theatre for a New Audience and London's Globe Theatre. Comedy will run April 9 through the 17th following a 50-city, 5 month national tour playing in repertory with Romeo and Juliet during the Company's 38th season, in which it has toured to 48 states and ten foreign countries.

For tickets: call (212) 239-6200 or go to telecharge.com. Tickets are $75 - $250. For tickets including dinner with the cast, call The Acting Company at (212) 258-3111.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos