Starry, Starry Night

Among the other celebrity participants: Elaine Stritch, who sang “Broadway Baby” from Follies and “Why Do I Love You?”, the number that Prince gave her to sing in his lauded revival of Show Boat…

…the scintillating Jane Krakowski, whose fabulous rendition of “Don’t Tell Mama” from Cabaret made one think that she’d be an excellent Sally Bowles…

…Sutton Foster, trying here to bolster Noah Racey’s confidence with “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman…

… and John Cullum, a Tony Award winner for his performance in On The Twentieth Century, making the years melt away with his wonderfully athletic performance of that musical’s showstopper, “I Rise Again.”

Kelli O’Hara and Matthew Morrison, who played the young lovers in The Light in the Piazza, were reunited as another pair of young lovers in a magical rendition of the Balcony Scene from West Side Story.

Other highlights of the concert included Christine Ebersole’s heartfelt rendition of “Not a Day Goes By” from Merrily We Roll Along…

…Michael Arden’s exuberant performance of the title song from She Loves Me…

…Renée Elise Goldsberry’s gripping version of “The Miller’s Son” from A Little Night Music…

…Jersey Boys stars (and understudies) Christian Hoff, Dominic Nolfi, Michael Longoria, and J. Robert Spencer in a doo-wop arrangement of “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera…

…Donna McKechnie’s “I’m Still Here” from Follies…

…Brian d’Arcy James’ “Oh, What a Circus”/”Sing, You Fools” from Evita…

…and Bebe Neuwirth’s full-throttle-belt performance of the title song from Cabaret.

At the end of the concert, Liza Minnelli introduced Prince, who helped her get her theatrical start in Flora, the Red Menace. Not surprisingly, the great man received an ovation from both the cast and the crowd…