In addition to Minnelli, newly added performers for the March 8 gala include Jason Danieley (Curtains), Mario Cantone and Norm Lewis.
Curtains Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce hosts the evening that will boast previously announced Kander and Ebb veterans including Chita Rivera (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink, Chicago), as well as Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba, both of whom starred in the Kander and Ebb musicals Curtains and Steel Pier. Also announced to perform are Julia Murney and Heidi Blickentsaff. Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, who appeared in Steel Pier, will appear, but is not scheduled to perform.
Liza Minnelli made her Tony Award-winning Broadway debut in the title role of Kander and Ebb's Flora, the Red Menace in 1965. Her work in that short-lived musical was the beginning of a lifelong collaboration with the songwriting team, who tailored material for her in The Act, "Liza with a Z" and Liza's Back. Minnelli earned an Academy Award for her work in the film of "Cabaret" and first sang their legendary song "New York, New York" in the film of the same title. On stage, Minnelli has appeared in the Kander and Ebb musicals The Rink and Chicago.
Tony Award winners John Kander and the late Fred Ebb first collaborated on the song "My Coloring Book" in 1962. The team would go on to create their first musical with Hal Prince, Flora, The Red Menace. Their works also include Cabaret, The Happy Time, Zorba, Chicago, The Act, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Curtains. The duo have also seen Cabaret and Chicago adapted into successful films. Their musicals All About Us and The Visit have been produced regionally in recent seasons. The Vineyard is currently presenting their latest musical The Scottsboro Boys, which was completed prior to Ebb's death in 2004.
Susan Stroman directs and choreographs The Scottsboro Boys, which began previews Feb. 12 and opens March 10. Tickets for the gala evening are available by calling Scott Pyne at (212) 353-3366 ext. 242 or online at vineyardtheatre.org.
