Melba Moore & Heather MacRae Join 'With A Little Help From My Friends' HAIR Benefit At Joe's Pub 9/14

The cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Hair will take to the intimate stage of Joe's Pub for a Sept. 14 benefit entitled With a Little Help From My Friends.

Two very special guests will be joining the Tribe of HAIR: Tony Award winning actress, Melba Moore, and Heather MacRae, both of whom performed in HAIR 40 years ago. Ms. Moore will sing at the 9:30 concert, and Ms. MacRae, at the 11:30 showing.

A pair of house seats with walk-on role in Hair; dinner with Levy, Kacie Sheik and Allison Case; and a dinner with Gavin Creel, Will Swenson and Levy - will also be auctioned during the evening.

The 9:30 and 11:30 PM concerts will help celebrate and benefit Broadway and Stratford Shakespeare Festival actress Lindsay Thomas (Hairspray, Jersey Boys), who was recently diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in Toronto. Her struggle with this insidious disease is made all the more difficult because as an actor in Canada, she is considered self-employed and therefore does not receive employment insurance benefits when she is not working. The concerts will help raise funds to contribute to the cost of Thomas' medical care.

Melba Moore began her career in Hair, where she originated the role of Dionne. During her 18 months in the show, she eventually replaced Dianne Keaton; becoming the first black actress to replace a white actress is a lead role on Broadway. Her other credits include "The Melba Moore / Clifton Davis Show," the mini-series "Ellis Island," R & B and Pop hits "This Is It," "You Stepped Into My Life," and her Grammy nominated signature "song, "Lean On Me." She won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a musical, for her show-stopping performance in "Purlie, again making her the first black actress to do so. In 1996 history repeated itself the third time when Melba took over the role of "Fantine" in the Broadway musical "Les Miserables." She is an ardent advocate for the rights of children resulting in her "Melba Moore Foundation for Abused & Neglected Children."

Heather MacRae has been see on Broadway in Hair, Coastal Disturbances, and Falsettos. On film, her credits includeThe Dissection of Thanksgiving, The Namesake, Life with Mikey, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, Bang the Drum Slowly, A Perfect Couple. TV credits include Sex and the City, One Life to Live, The Sopranos, Law and Order: SVU, Frasier. Her recordings are: Songs for my Father and I Choose Love ( on iTunes) She has been a proud member of AEA for more than 40 years.

The evening will also feature the talents of Nikki M. James (All Shook Up), David Reiser (Mamma Mia, Good Vibrations), Ryan Silverman (Phantom of the Opera), Karen Burthwright (Hairspray), Leslie McDonel (Hairspray, Legally Blonde), MiLes Johnson (Rent) and Jamie McKnight (The Producers). Lon Hoyt is musical director.

Hair's Caissie Levy, who is producing the benefit, said in a statement, "Lindsay is one of my best friends, and a truly incredible woman. She has the biggest heart, and is always the first person to help out a friend in his or her time of need. When I approached our Tribe of actors, musicians, and producers, and told them Lindsay's story, everyone jumped at the opportunity to come to her aid. We hope people within the New York community will join us to benefit Lindsay's cause, and to celebrate the healing power of music and friendship.

VIP tickets, priced $250, include two tickets to the benefit in VIP Table Seating, and a Hair poster and cast album signed by the entire cast; VIP tables are sold in pairs and only through Joe's Pub office (212) 539-8778. There are also $50 table seats and $35 standing room tickets available by visiting joespub.com or by calling (212) 967-7555. Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street.