Photo Flash: Rebecca Luker, Ted Keegan, Sheldon Harnick and More Tribute Barbara Cook & Lee Adams

Encompass New Opera Theatre held a gala to honor legendary Broadway performer BARBARA COOK and lyricist LEE ADAMS (Bye Bye Birdie, Golden Boy, Applause) with a star-studded musical salute on Sunday, October 25. BroadwayWorld has photos from the evening below!

The evening, which took place on the exact day of Ms. Cook's 88th Birthday, was hosted by Midge Woolsey of Thirteen /WNET and WQXR Radio, and featured entertainment from stage stars and songwriters such as Penny Fuller, Malcolm Gets, Jason Graae, Sheldon Harnick, Ted Keegan, Marc Kudisch, Rebecca Luker, Amanda McBroom, Erin Mackey, Karen Mason, Charles Strouse, KT Sullivan, Lauren Worsham, Karen Ziemba and David Zippel, in addition to surprise guests. Beth Ertz served as Music Director and Arranger. The Gala Honorary Chairs were Sheldon Harnick, Charles Strouse, and Maury Yeston. The gala was produced byMichael A. Kerker of ASCAP and Nancy Rhodes.

This was the 12th year for the Encompass Musical Salute. Past honorees include Sheldon Harnick (both for his 80th and 90th Birthdays), John Kander, Charles Strouse, Jerry Herman, Jerry Bock, Maury Yeston, Joseph Stein, Richard Maltby, Jr., David Shire, John Weidman, Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Menken, Joel Grey and Jeanine Tesori.

The gala chairs were Daniel J. De Siena and Casey McNamara. The gala vice chairs were Carmine Esposito, Roger Feffer, Russ Lapso, Lynn Martindale, Barbara Sexton, Harriet Slaughter and Daniel Smetana. The Gala Honorary Committee was comprised of Patrick Cook of BMI, Jason Danieley, Michael Feinstein, Jason Graae, Michael A. Kerkerof ASCAP, Judy Kuhn, Vasi Laurence, Carolyn and Thomas Meehan, Tommy Tune and David Zippel.

BARBARA COOK has been captivating audiences for over 50 years as an Award winning Broadway performer and cabaret and concert singer. She has won the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, in addition to the Tony Award, and originated roles in classic musicals such as Candide, The Music Man, and She Loves Me, in addition to roles in Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, and Sondheim on Sondheim. Her concert, Barbara Cook's Broadway, was lauded by USA Today and Associated Press as one of the top ten theatre productions of 2004.

LEE ADAMS made his Broadway debut with Bye Bye Birdie in 1960. Forty-six years later, Birdie remains the most performed musical for schools and amateur theaters. Adams received the first of his two Tony Awards for Birdie, followed on Broadway by All American (1962); Golden Boy with Sammy Davis (1964); ....It's Superman (1966); Applause with Lauren Bacall (1970), for which he won his second Tony. In 1972, with his composer-collaboratorCharles Strouse, Adams wrote a much-acclaimed musical, I and Albert in London. He wrote the lyrics for TV's long-running "All in the Family" theme, "Those Were The Days." And with Strouse he wrote the score for the film The Night They Raided Minsky's, a cult favorite.

Photo Credit: Monica Simoes