Bebe Neuwirth Hosts Career Transition for Dancers Tribute to Richard Rodgers

On Monday, October 21, Career Transition for Dancers will present its Eighth Annual “The Next Stop” gala. Titled Shall We Dance: A Dance Tribute to Richard Rodgers, the event will take place at 7pm at City Center.

Directed by Donald Saddler, the gala is set to star a number of celebrated dancers and performers, including Sandy Duncan, Karen Ziemba, Ann Reinking, LaChanze, and Frederic Franklin. Dancers from American Ballet Theatre, AntiGravity, the Cincinnati Ballet, the National Dance Institute, and the New York City Ballet will also take part. The show will be hosted by former Chicago star Bebe Neuwirth.

The event will honor Richard Rodgers by including dances from his musicals, such as “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” from On Your Toes and the pas de deux from Carousel. There will also be premieres of new works set to Rodgers’ music and selection from the composer’s only ballet, “Ghost Town,” which has not been performed in New York since 1940.

Tickets for the performance only are available at $40, $55, and $75 through CityTix at 212-581-1212 or 1-877-581-1212. Gala tickets — which include the performance, a post-show black-tie supper with the stars, a live auction, and dancing to the Duke Ellington Orchestra at the Sheraton New York’s Imperial Ballroom — are available at $550 and $1,000 each. Call 212-582-6690 for tickets and information.

The proceeds from the gala will benefit Career Transitions for Dancers, an organization that helps professional dancers establish new careers once dancing is no longer an option for them. For more information on CTFD, call 212-581-7043 or visit the website www.careertransition.org.