The acclaimed musical — co-starring Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson — will mark the occasion with an onstage celebration following the performance. Ebersole and Wilson will be part of the festivities, which will also include children and representatives from the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens and the ASPCA. Theatregoers can expect to see live cats onstage as well as a large custom cake with 100 candles.
In honor of the milestone, East of Doheny, the musical's lead producer, will make a series of donations to the ASPCA and The Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens. Because the musical references 52 cats that lived in the over-populated home of the Beales, 100 cans of cat food, 100 bags of kitty litter and 100 cat toys as well as 100 show tickets to ASPCA volunteers will be donated to the animal organization.
"Little" Edie Beale also comments in the show, "They can get you in East Hampton for wearing red shoes on a Thursday." To celebrate her nonconformity, the producers will donate 100 pairs of red Converse sneakers, 100 basketballs and 100 jump ropes to the Variety Boys and Girls Club.
In a statement, president of East of Donehy Kelly Gonda said, "We're overjoyed to be celebrating our first 100 performances and for audiences to have embraced this wonderful show. In honor of this milestone, the entire Grey Gardens family wanted to give something back. We're delighted to be working with the ASPCA and the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens to help animals and children, and hope our beloved Edies would be proud of the work being done in their name. We also look forward to more celebrations as Grey Gardens reaches future milestones."
The musical by Doug Wright (book), Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics) charts the relationship between mother and daughter socialites Edith and Edie Beale (aunt and cousin to Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) as they slide from the top of the Long Island social register (in the 1940s) to the bottom of the heap (in the 1970s), ultimately living together in a squalid East Hampton mansion, Grey Gardens. The show is drawn from the 1975 documentary film, "Grey Gardens." For more information visit www.greygardensthemusical.com.
