Prince, Murphy, Etc. to Perform at Mary Rodgers Gala

Music-Theatre Group will salute Once Upon a Mattress composer Mary Rodgers at MTG's annual gala.

The event will take place on October 23 at the Manhattan Penthouse (80 Fifth Avenue). Tony Award-winners Faith Prince (Bells Are Ringing, Guys and Dolls) and Donna Murphy (Wonderful Town, The King and I), as well as Jim Walton (Merrily We Roll Along, The Music Man), will perform songs from the revue Hey Love: The Songs of Mary Rodgers, which is directed by Mark Waldrop. Music director Patrick Brady will provide piano accompaniment.

Rodgers--who happens to be the daughter of Broadway legend Richard Rodgers and the mother of Tony Award-winner Adam Guettel--scored her biggest Broadway hit with Once Upon a Mattress, which was co-written with Jay Thompason, Marshall Barer and Dean Fuller.  She also wrote the music for Hot Spot, which starred Judy Holliday, and provided material for From A to Z, Working, and The Madwoman of Central Park West.  Rodgers is also known for having written the book Freaky Friday, as well as the screenplay of the popular book based upon it.

"Music-Theatre Group is the flagship organization in commissioning, developing and producing new music-theatre - the creative fusion of dramatic writing, music, dance and the visual arts," state notes on the group's website.

Call Mark Runion at 212-366-5260, ext. 22 or e-mail mark@musictheatregroup.org for more information on the gala.