Neuwirth, Prince, Stritch, et al. to Appear at Vincent Sardi Memorial

Bebe Neuwirth, Harold Prince, and Elaine Stritch are among those scheduled to appear at a memorial service for restaurateur Vincent Sardi, Jr. to be held on Tuesday, March 13 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 44th Street), beginning at noon. The service is open to the public; it will also feature appearances by Sardi’s daughter, the pianist Etsko Tazaki, and his son David.

Known as the “Mayor of Broadway,” Sardi died on January 4, 2007. He was born on July 23, 1915 in Manhattan, grew up in the theater district , and spent his childhood around show-business folk. In 1939, he began to work full-time as a dining room captain at Sardi’s, the family restaurant, located at 234 West 44th Street. Upon his father’s retirement in 1947, he took over the ownership and management of the business. He sold it in 1985, bought it back in 1990, and retired to Vermont in 1997.

A world-famous hangout for actors, producers, and other theater professionals in its heyday, Sardi’s remains a Broadway institution, as legendary for its clientele as well as for the caricatures of showbiz icons that line its walls.