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Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim! Plus: TM catches Kathleen Turner, Liza Minnelli, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and other notables at various events around town.

New York City


Today is Stephen Sondheim’s 75th birthday, and that happy occasion is being celebrated with a seemingly unending succession of special events, the most recent of which was last night’s Children and Art gala benefit for Young Playwrights, Inc. The concert at the New Amsterdam Theatre featured performances and appearances by such notables as Barbara Cook, George Hearn, Angela Lansbury, and Harold Prince. After the curtain call, Sondheim took the stage to the cheers of the capacity crowd, said a few words, and cut the birthday cake.

Immediately following the event at the New Amsterdam, a party was held at The Four Seasons. Among those on hand: The amazing Barbara Cook, who sang “In Buddy’s Eyes” from Follies in the concert…

…Donna Murphy, who sang “See What it Gets You” from Anyone Can Whistle…

…Kurt Peterson, the original Young Ben in Follies, who performed “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow” / “Love Will See Us Through” from that show with his fellow original cast members Harvey Evans, Marti Rolph, and Virginia Sandifur…

…and the reunited triumvirate of Jim Walton, Ann Morrison, and Lonny Price, the leads in the original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along, who recreated their performance of “Old Friends” from that show.

On Sunday evening, March 20, the new Broadway production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opened at the Longacre Theatre to extremely enthusiastic notices. Here is Albee flanked by cast members Mireille Enos, Bill Irwin, Kathleen Turner, and David Harbour.

Among those on hand for the Virginia Woolf opening: George Grizzard, who played Nick in the original production in 1962…

…Maureen Anderman, who played Honey in the 1976 Broadway revival of the play…

…Cherry Jones, currently starring in the Broadway transfer of the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Doubt…

…stage and screen legend Patricia Neal…

…and Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City.

We leave you with some photos from another Sunday event: “Celebrating Luigi,” a tribute to the legendary dance teacher on his 80th birthday, held at the Laura Pels Theatre. Among those joining in the festivities: the one and only Liza Minnelli…

…Marisa Berenson, who appeared with Minnelli in the film version of Cabaret…

…Paige Davis, the host of TV’s Trading Spaces, who recently did a stint as Roxie Hart in the Broadway revival of Chicago…

…and newswoman Pia Lindstrom.