Some of Broadway’s biggest stars were out in full force on Monday night as three major benefits were held around town. At the Hammerstein Ballroom, MCC Theater presented its annual Miscast event, wherein performers get to sing numbers they would normally never have the chance to do. Company star Raúl Esparza tackled Ballroom‘s “Fifty Percent,” while Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski sang “Shadowland” from The Lion King.
Among the other performers who got to strut their stuff were (left to right) Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, former Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me co-stars Brooks Ashmanskas and Nicole Parker, In the Heights‘ star and co-creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Tony winner LaChanze.
Handsome Josh Strickland took a break from playing the title role in Tarzan to help MCC by singing “Stop the Show” from Fame Becomes Me, “I Will Never Leave You” from Side Show with Butz, and “Black Boys/White Boys” from Hair with Ashmanskas, Butz, Krakwoski, LaChanze, and Parker.
Enjoying the festivities was the talented actor-director Walter Bobbie, who’ll return to the stage later this month in the City Center Encores! production of Irving Berlin’s Face the Music.
Jerry Mitchell, director and choreographer of the soon-to-open Broadway musical Legally Blonde, considered bidding on some of the silent auction goodies.
Here’s Robert LuPone, the original Zach in A Chorus Line and MCC’s co-artistic director…
…and here are super-successful producers Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller, who were honored by MCC for their commitment to producing innovative works on Broadway and Off-Broadway and who took part in the concert by singing the duet “I Know Him So Well” from Chess.
Over at City Center, the National Federation for Facial Reconstruction held its Broadway for Medicine benefit, raising over $1 million to be used to help children with birth defects. The event was hosted by funny lady Julie Halston, flanked here by best pal and benefit performer Charles Busch (whose hilarious new play Our Leading Lady opens next week at Manhattan Theatre Club) and NFFR spokesman Aidan Quinn.
Betty Buckley, who begins a two-week stint at Feinstein’s at the Regency on March 27, brought down the house with renditions of two of her signature songs: “With One Look” and “Memory.”
The legendary Mimi Hines, who triumphed last month at City Center as Hattie in Follies, was a big hit singing “The Music That Makes Me Dance” from Funny Girl — the show in which she succeeded Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice.
Hugh Panaro, Deborah Gibson, and Howard McGillin were three more of the popular (and extremely attractive) stars who graced City Center’s stage last evening.
The Upper West Side institution Symphony Space held its annual honors ceremony at the Rainbow Room. Co-founder Isaiah Sheffer caught up with the wonderful actress Fionnula Flanagan at the event.
The great dancer and choreographer Jacques D’Amboise was among those honored this year…
…and he was appropriately saluted by another great dancer and choreographer, Carmen de Lavallade.
