Color Purple Coauthor Allee Willis to Host LaMama Gala
(© David Gordon)
La MaMa will celebrate its 55th season with a gala event on Thursday, November 10, at La MaMa Annex, hosted by The Color Purple coauthor Allee Willis. Titled Badeya Baby! or How I Learned to Love the Theatre, Willis describes the multimedia performance as "an Experience in Experimental Dinner Theatre."
Directed by Jason Trucco, the event's honorary chairs include Pamela Adlon, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, Buck Henry, Marsha Norman, and Bette Midler. Willis has entertained these honorary chairs, among others, including Cyndi Lauper, Cher, the Pointer Sisters, RuPaul, and Mark Cuban at her house in Los Angeles – the former famous MGM party house.
The evening of cocktails, dinner, performance, and after-party begins at 6pm.
In addition to the score of The Color Purple, now enjoying a revival at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Willis has written songs that have sold more than 50 million records, including "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters, and "I'll Be There For You," the theme from "Friends."
