Theater News

Photo File

Fabulous dames, a Broadway outfielder, a hot-hot-hot director, a legendary composer, and a really radiant baby.

New York City

The eighth annual Nothing Like a Dame celebration, a benefit for the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative of The Actors’ Fund of America, was held last night at the St. James Theatre. One of the highlights of the show was Bebe Neuwirth and dancers in “All That Jazz” from Chicago, the Broadway revival of which is still going strong even as the film version has become a blockbuster.






The Nothing Like a Dame audience also went nuts when Kamilah Martin, Judine Richard, and Shayna Steele, a.k.a. “The Dynamites” from Hairspray, performed two numbers from that smash hit: “Welcome to the 60’s” and “A New Girl in Town,” a terrific song that was cut from the show before it opened.

Many of the fabulous dames who appeared in the show turned up for the after-party at John’s Pizzeria. Among them were Hairspray‘s Marissa Jaret Winokur, who had stunned the crowd by announcing from the stage that she is a cancer survivor…

…former Texas governor Ann Richards, who had the audience in stitches when she performed “I’m an Old Cowhand” with fellow Texan Liz Smith…

…and living legend Lauren Bacall, pictured here with Brent Barrett, on whose new CD Bacall makes a memorable guest appearance.

Celebrating the Broadway opening of Take Me Out at a party at The Supper Club on Thursday, February 27: Daniel Sunjata, who plays gay baseball star Darren Lemming in the show…




…and fellow cast members David Eigenberg (l) and Denis O’Hare.

Rob Marshall (r), a front runner in the Oscar race for his direction of the Chicago film, took in a recent performance of the Transport Group’s Requiem for William with his partner and collaborator John DeLuca.




Having a blast at the opening night party for the new Jerry Herman revue Showtune at Della Femina restaurant: Herman himself (r) with the show’s director-choreographer, Joey McKneely.







Two generations of leading men are represented in Showtune. Here’s Martin Vidnovic…



…and here’s Tom Korbee.


Daniel Reichard, who is giving a star-making peformance as Keith Haring in Radiant Baby at the Public Theater, posed for TheaterMania in front of a Haring sculpture in the theater’s lobby after one of the show’s final previews.