Dancers Over 40 Honors Ron Field, Including Stars Such as Joel Grey and Original Broadway Cast of CABARET

Monday, October 21st was a luminous night for DO40, panelists, performers - and especially the sold-out audience who attended Dancers Over 40's latest panel and performance, this time honoring Director/Choreographer Ron Field. Along with seven members from the original production, on hand were Marge Champion, Sandy Duncan & Don Correia, Joel Grey, Donna McKechnie, Lee Roy Reams and Ben Vereen. A star-studded night, indeed for DO40!

Video clips from Ron's shows were interspersed with performance pieces by the CABARET cast, Donna McKechnie, and the "Dueling Duanes," Lee Roy Reams, Harvey Evans and Lawrence Merritt, all of whom portrayed Duane in APPLAUSE.

The panel segments whisked by - no one noticed 3 ½ hours passed! The CABARET cast with the wonderfully honest, witty and direct Joel Grey, and moderators Harvey Evans and Lawrence Merritt; The Fabulous D'honau Sisters - Marilyn, Lillian and Dorothy, Lee Roy Reams - and that was just Act One!

Act Two's panels included segments with Marge Champion, Sandy Duncan and Don Correia, moderated by Harvey Evans and Marianne Selbert, and insightful discussions with Ben Vereen and Donna McKechnie. Donna led the panelists and performers into a sing along that included songs from ON THE TOWN and CABARET.

The audience was ablaze with the best of the best - DO40 members, Legacy Award honorees, new facebook fans and Friends of Dancers over 40 (FODO 40's as they are known!). Ben Vereen singled out his ballet teacher from the High School of Performing Arts, 2011 Legacy Award honoree Bella Malinka, and Gary Gendell, Carolyn Kirsch and Legacy honorees Ken Urmston and Nicole Barth were also in attendance, and spoke from the audience with reminiscences of Ron and his work. Fosse biographer and DO40 member Kevin Winkler, Harry Haun, St. Luke's producer Ed Gaynes, Virginia Seidel and a gaggle more of gypsies going back at least 45 years filled out the crowd.

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