The evening honors four individuals, whose combined careers "represent the diversity and range of the entertainment industry," according to press notes. Award recipients include stage and screen star Alec Baldwin, opera singer Renée Fleming and Tony-winning Broadway producers and theatre owners Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley.
Baldwin will receive the Nedda Harrigan Logan Award "in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to all who work in the entertainment community and his ongoing arts advocacy efforts." Fleming will be presented with the Lee Strasberg Artistic Achievement Award, which is given to "an outstanding member of the performing arts community." And, Lane and Comley will receive the Actors Fund Medal of Honor, given to "individuals and organizations that significantly enrich the entertainment community."
Jed Bernstein is producing the evening's entertainment, which boasts performances by Faith Prince, Leslie Kritzer, Daniel Evans, Jenna Russell, Kate Shindle, Lisette Oropesa and David McFerrin. The evening will also feature appearances by Scott Ellis, Bebe Neuwirth, Patrick Stewart, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the cast of "30 Rock"; the latter will appear via video.
Best known for her role as Karen on the Emmy-winning NBC series "Will & Grace," Megan Mullally appeared on Broadway opposite Matthew Broderick in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and portrayed Marty in the most recent revival of Grease! Her one woman musical, Sweetheart, played a sold-out run in Los Angeles. Mullally and her band, Supreme Music Program, recently released their third CD, "Free Again!"
The Actors Fund, which was founded in 1882, is a non-profit organization that provides for the social welfare of all entertainment professionals. Some of the many programs The Actors Fund provides include a nursing home and assisted living care facility; senior and disabled programs; mental health services; chemical dependency services; entertainment industry assistance programs; the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative; the AIDS Initiative; and supportive housing on both coasts. For more information or to reserve tickets to the 2008 Actors Fund Gala, call (212) 763-8597 or visit www.actorsfund.org.