Theater News

I Smell a Hit!

Stars shine at the fragrance industry’s Fifi Awards and in The Broadway Musicals of 1956.

New York City

Oh, what a night! The 34th annual Fifi Awards, known as “the Oscars of the fragrance industry,” were bestowed last evening at the Hammerstein Ballroom on West 34th Street in Manhattan. Among the attendees: Sarah Jessica Parker, who accepted a Fifi for Best New Advertising Campaign of the Year for her fragrance “Lovely”…

…Jason Patric, grandson of Jackie Gleason, last seen on Broadway as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof…

…16-year-old fashion model Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis Presley…

…and the Academy Award winning actor Ernest Borgnine, who made a point of not seeing Brokeback Mountain but is apparently secure enough in his masculinity to attend a fragrance industry event called the Fifi Awards. (His wife, Tova, has a cosmetics line.)

Also last evening, The Broadway Musicals of 1956 — the latest entry in the critically acclaimed “Broadway by the Year” concert series — packed The Town Hall on West 43rd Street, and an after-party was held right down the block at Tony’s DiNapoli. Pictured here is the series’ creator-writer-host, Scott Siegel, with Christine Andreas, who sang selections from My Fair Lady and other shows that opened in ’56. (Andreas played Eliza Doolittle in the memorable 1976 Broadway revival of Fair Lady.)

Among the other stars of the show who attended the party: Marc Kudisch, recently seen in Michael John LaChiusa’s See What I Wanna See at The Public Theater…

…Rachelle Rak, who stopped the show with her athletic, sexy performance of “I’m Available” from Mr. Wonderful, seen here with Denis Jones, who choreographed the number for her…

…John Treacy Egan (right), hanging out with Brad Oscar, with whom he has a lot in common (at various times, both actors have starred as Max Bialystock and Franz Liebkind in The Producers, and Egan is currently playing Max on Broadway)…

…Brandon Cutrell and Devin Richards, who partnered with Egan for some nifty three-part harmony in “Standin’ on the Corner” from The Most Happy Fella…

…Ashley Brown, the current star of Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast, who splendidly rose to the challenge of singing “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide…

…and Brent Barrett, who sang such songs as “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” from Fair Lady and “Joey, Joey, Joey” from Happy Fella, with Connie Pachl, who sang “April in Fairbanks” from New Faces of 1956 and the title tune from Mr. Wonderful.