Rainbow High

Vineyard founder Barbrara Zinn Krieger caught up with one of the theater’s most beloved stars, Patricia Clarkson.

A highlight of the evening was a tribute to playwright Paula Vogel, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning drama How I Learned to Drive debuted at the Vineyard. During the gala, the first annual Paula Vogel Playwriting Award was presented to Tarell Alvin McCraney, author of The Brothers Size.

The gala’s entertainment, directed by Jason Moore, included Emmy Award winner S. Epatha Merkerson recreating her performance as Billie Holliday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill and board member Judy Kuhn singing Laura Nyro’s gorgeous “Mother’s Spiritual.”

Cheyenne Jackson sang “A Quiet Thing” from Kander & Ebb’s Flora, The Red Menace, which was revived by the Vineyard.

Among the many special guests joining in the festivities were Emmy nominee Oliver Platt, whose upcoming films include The Ten and The Martian Child.

…Joe Morton, director of the Vineyard’s upcoming production of History of the Word, which will be presented at area high schools…

…Penny Fuller and Tony Roberts, who co-starred in the original Broadway production of Barefoot in the Park…

…Vineyard board member Kathleen Chalfant, who begins performances next month in the Off-Broadway show Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell…

…Ann Harada, who starred in the Vineyard’s production of Avenue Q Off-Broadway, on Broadway, and in London’s West End…

…her Q co-star Barrett Foa, who’s now playing Leaf Coneybear in Broadway’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee…

…Michael Berresse, director of the Vineyard’s hit musical [title of show], who’s now starring on Broadway as Zack in the revival of A Chorus Line…

…Malcolm Gets, whose many credits include the Broadway show Amour and the NBC-TV sitcom Caroline in the City…

…Veanne Cox, who recently earned rave reviews for her work in The Beaux Stratagem at Washington, D.C.’s Shakespeare Theater…

…and four-time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason, taking a New York break from her snow-covered farm in New Mexico.