Theater News

Guys and Dames

Jennifer Holliday, Beth Leavel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marc Kudisch, Audra McDonald, Polly Bergen, and other stars shone at the first three of this week’s big theater events.

New York City

This year’s Nothing Like a Dame benefit, presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on Monday at the Marquis Theatre, raised $300,000 for the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative of The Actors’ Fund. The show started off with a bang as Jenn Gambatese, Barbara Walsh, Jennifer Smith, and company performed a medley of songs from Broadway musicals.

Among the show’s highlights: Jennifer Holliday, the original Effie in Dreamgirls, amazed the audience with her performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from that great Henry Krieger-Tom Eyen musical…

…Maureen McGovern, most recently seen on Broadway in Little Women, sang the uplifting Marvin Hamlisch-Alan & Marilyn Bergman ballad “Ordinary Miracles”…

…Beth Leavel, who won the Tony and Drama Desk awards for her performance in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Marquis, brought the house down with her hilarious performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “Surabaya Santa”…

…and Jason Michael Snow, José Llana, and Paul Castree gave an unforgettable rendition of the title song from Dreamgirls. Every man has his own special dream, indeed!

Also on Monday evening, the Roundabout Theatre Company held its annual spring gala at Roseland. The starry crowd included the ever-gorgeous Polly Bergen…

…Audra McDonald, who will soon return to Broadway as the star of the Roundabout’s new production of 110 in the Shade at Studio 54…

…Kathleen Marshall, director-choreographer of the upcoming Broadway revival of Grease, the stars of which are being chosen via a TV talent competition…

…Cynthia Nixon, most recently seen on stage in the title role of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie…

…Roz Ryan, one of the best Mama Mortons in the long-running Chicago revival…

…the unbeatable mother/daughter team of Jill Clayburgh (right) and Lily Rabe…

…Michael Cerveris, currently co-starring in The Public Theater production of King Lear and soon to be seen in Manhattan Theater Club’s LoveMusik…

…Raúl Esparza, who gives a brilliant performance as Robert in John Doyle’s acclaimed new production of Company…

…and Marc Kudisch, recently seen in the Roundabout’s revival of The Apple Tree and presently swash-buckling in The Pirates of Penzance at New York City Opera.


Jack Goes Boating. Here are the show’s stars: John Ortiz, Beth Cole, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Daphne Rubin-Vega.