Photo Coverage: Lavin and Stritch at the Metropolitan Room
By: Mark Rupp May. 08, 2007
Tony Award-winner Linda Lavin, joined by acclaimed jazz pianist and performer Billy Stritch (42nd Street), recently appeared at the Metropolitan Room from May 4th through May 7th. In the audience were luminaries such as Joanne Worley, Harold Prince, Penny Fuller, Dee Hoty and Donna Lynne Champlin.
On stage from the age of 5, singer/actress Linda Lavin graduated from William and Mary College with a theatre degree and pounded the pavements of New York in the early 60s searching for work following some stock roles in New Jersey. She made a dent in the NY musical comedy scene with roles in Oh, Kay!, It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman and On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever. She also won kudos for her straight acting roles in Little Murders (1969 Drama Desk award) and Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969 Tony nomination).
TV beckoned in the 1970s and, after a one-season false start as a lady detective on the "Barney Miller" series, she soon became a household name. As the titular waitress/mom in the sitcom "Alice," Lavin won stardom. During the nine seasons (1976-1985) it was on the air, she nabbed two Golden Globe awards and an Emmy nomination. Ever the singer, she even warbled "There's a New Girl in Town" over the opening credits of the show. Following this success, Lavin focused her attentions once again on the stage. She earned renewed respect, in addition to critic's awards, for her diversified Broadway work in Broadway Bound (1987 Tony award), Death Defying Acts (1995 Obie award), The Diary of Anne Frank (1998 Tony nomination) and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2000 Tony nomination). More recently, she appeared in Carol Burnett's autobiographical play Hollywood Arms, portraying Burnett's grandmother.
Visit www.metropolitanroom.com for more on the Metropolitan Room.
JoAnne Worley, Billy Stritch and Linda Lavin
Steve Bacunas (drummer and Lavin's husband), JoAnne Worley and Billy Stritch
JoAnne Worley and Patricia Birch (LoveMusik choreographer)
Bruce Perry and JoAnne Worley
Linda Lavin and singer Neil Cohen
Doug Major, JoAnne Worley and Billy Stritch
Bass player Steve Doyle and Linda Lavin
Billy Stritch, Dee Hoty, Donna Lynne Champlin, Linda Lavin and JoAnne Worley
JoAnne Worley and Lennie Watts
Doug Major and Linda Lavin
Harold Prince, Linda Lavin and Billy Stritch
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