Liza Minnelli Signs on to Starry 'One World' Dance Benefit

Broadway legend Liza Minnelli has joined the cast of "One World: A Spectacular Global Celebration," Career Transition For Dancers' 21st  Anniversary Jubilee, which will be presented on Monday, October 23rd at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (between 7 & 6 Aves.).

Presented by Rolex, it will be followed by an Anniversary Supper with the Stars at Hilton New York's Grand Ballroom. 

Minnelli joins the previously-announced Mercedes Ellington, Sutton Foster, James Earl Jones, Bebe Neuwrith, and Rosie O'Donnell for the evening.  Minnelli's fellow Broadway legend Chita Rivera (West Side Story, Kiss of the Spider Woman) will be honored with a Rolex Dance Award at the gala.

"The Gala will showcase the bringing together of diverse cultures through the universal art form of dance.  Highlighting a variety of ethnic dance as well as ballet and modern, 'One World' celebrates our sameness and reflects the rich cultural fabric of New York City for the entertainment-dance event of the year," according to notes.

The evening will include special performances by artists from: American Ballet Theatre; BALAM Dance Theatre; Ballet de Monterrey; Dance China NY; Donny Golden Irish Dance; Drum Café NY; Sachiyo Ito; The Joffrey Ballet; Eric Lewis; Luna Negra Dance Theater; National Dance Institute of New Mexico; Ologunde; Parul Shah Dance Co.; Billy Porter; Noah Racey; Pilar Rioja; Rosie's Broadway Kids; San Francisco Ballet; Sounds of Korea; Thunderbird American Indian Dancers; Mr. Wiggles plus more Stars and surprises.  It is produced & directed by Ann Marie DeAngelo and written by Deborah Grace Winer.  As in the past, the Gala will feature some World Premieres that are especially created for the show (artists & program subject to change).

In addition to Rivera's Rolex Dance Award, A CTFD Award will be presented to the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation for outstanding contributions to the world of dance.

In addition to her Emmy for "Liza with a Z," Minnelli has won three Tony Awards, an Oscar, and two Golden Globes. She won a Theatre World Award for Best Foot Forward, Tony Awards for Flora, the Red Menace and The Act, and a Special Tony Award in 1974. She was nominated for an Oscar for The Sterile Cuckoo, and won the Oscar and the Golden Globe Award for the film version of Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse. The daughter of Judy Garland, her other Broadway credits include The Rink, Chicago and Victor/Victoria, and she has also been seen on film in New York, New York, Arthur and others.

The annual event is a benefit for Career Transition For Dancers. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, CTFD has helped over 3,200 professional dancers identify their unique talents in preparation for establishing new careers when dance is no longer an option.        

Gala tickets are $600 & $1,000 each, which include the performance and a post-performance 'Anniversary Waltz Supper with the Stars', auction and dancing at the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton New York. Sponsorships and tables are also available as well as Journal ads.  For gala tickets please call Marjorie Horne, McEvoy & Assocs. at (212) 228-7446 x33 and for Group Sales please call (718) 499-9691. The phone number for CTFD is (212) 764-0172.  Show only tickets are on sale for $125, $75, $55 and $45 at the box office and also by calling CityTix  (212) 581-1212 or online at www.nycitycenter.org.   Visit www.careertransition.org for more information.