Cariou, Daly, Dussault, Rae, Ripley, et al. Set for S.T.A.G.E. Benefit

Len Cariou, Tyne Daly, Nancy Dussault, Charlotte Rae, and Alice Ripley are among the artists set to participate in By Side By Side By Side By Side by Stephen Sondheim, the 23rd annual S.T.A.G.E. benefit concert, to be held for two performances on Saturday, March 10 at 8pm and Sunday, March 11 at 3pm at the Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. David Galligan will direct the show, and Gerald Sternbach will serve as musical director.

Also set to perform are Jamie Anderson, Ann Hampton Callaway, Patrick Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Marc Cherry (creator of the TV series Desperate Houswives), Carole Cook, Wilson Cruz, Kevin Earley, Betty Garrett, Randy Graff, Sally Ann Howes, Ronobir Lahiri, Sean McDermott, Linda Michele, Michele Nicastro, Michael Nouri, Valarie Pettiford, Cathy Rigby, Joan Ryan, Andrew Samonsky, Kevin Spirtas, KT Sullivan, Rip Taylor, and Lisa Vroman. David Cassidy and Shirley Jones, previously announced for the event, are no longer scheduled to appear.

The program will celebrate the work of Sondheim, composer-lyricist of such shows as Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, and Sunday in the Park With George, and lyricist of West Side Story, Gypsy, and Do I Hear a Waltz?.

Proceeds from this year’s concert will go to AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States. During the event, the 2007 Producers STAGE Award will be presented to theater, film, and TV actress Judith Light in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the fight against AIDS.