Photo/Video File

World AIDS Day, December 1, was marked with an alternately moving and thrilling concert presentation of Children of Eden at Riverside Church. A joint benefit for the National AIDS Fund and the York Theatre Company, the concert was produced and directed by Jamie McGonnigal, and Mark Hartman served as music director/conductor. The performance began with Norm Lewis as Father (i.e., God) leading a huge chorus in the soaring anthem "Let There Be."

The event marked the first professional NYC production of Children of Eden, which has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. Two of the concert's stars, pictured here, were Julia Murney as Eve/Mother Noah and Jonathan Dokuchitz as Adam/Noah.

The most famous song to emerge from the Children of Eden score is probably "Lost in the Wilderness," which was given a show-stopping rendition on Monday by Darius de Haas (right) in the role of Cain; de Haas is seen here with Max von Essen as Abel.

Among the concert's many highlights were "A World Without You," a song that was cut from the score, performed by Jai Rodriguez...

..."The Wasteland," which included a solo by AJ Irvin...

..."Stranger to the Rain," beautifully sung by former Miss America and noted AIDS activist Kate Shindle...

...and the uplifting finale, creatively titled "In the Beginning," sung by soloists and chorus totaling more than 100 people.

Here are some video highlights of the Children of Eden performance, plus TheaterMania interviews with Stephen Schwartz and some of the stars that were taped during the after party at The Supper Club.

The Jerome Kern compilation musical Never Gonna Dance opened last night at the Broadhurst Theatre, and a party for the company was thrown afterwards at the Marriott Marquis. Here at the fête are stars Nancy Lemenager and Noah Racey...

...and here's co-star Karen Ziemba.

Also on hand for the Never Gonna Dance bash was Delta Burke, seen here with Racey...

...Edgar Bronfman, Jr., one of the show's producers...

...and the unusual trio of Broadway and movie star Matthew Broderick, theater journalist Michael Riedel, and Hairspray co-lyricist Scott Wittman.

We finish off this photo/video feature with a shot of Martha Plimpton, Mark Rossier, Judith Ivey, and Denis O'Hare attending the A.R.T./New York "Celebrity Roundtable" event at Classic Stage Company on Monday, November 24. Plimpton, Ivey, and O'Hare were among the panelists; Rossier is A.R.T./New York's director of development and marketing.

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(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

(Photo © TheaterMania.com)

TM's cameras are there for a thrilling benefit concert of Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden and other events.

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