Simon is receiving the award in honor of his contributions to the American theatre at a gala ceremony in the Rainbow Room's Pegasus Suite.
The 6:30 PM dinner will feature honorary co-chairs Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. Many of the evening's guests, presenters and performers have previously collaborated with the multi-award winning playwright.
Among the confirmed talent are Lucie Arnaz, Emanuel Azenberg, Bob Dishy, Penny Fuller, Marvin Hamlisch, Dick Latessa, Laurence Luckinbill, Dina Merrill and Ted Hartley, Ruth and Steve Hendel, Pat Daily and Tom Viertel, and Betsy and George C. White.
Simon – the only playwright to have four of his works running on Broadway simultaneously – has been honored with three Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Drama Desk Award, an American Comedy Award, a Golden Globe Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. Some of his works for the stage include Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Chapter Two, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound. He also contributed librettos to the musicals Sweet Charity; Promises, Promises; They're Playing Our Song; and The Goodbye Girl.
Previous Monte Cristo Award recipients include Jason Robards, Jr., Edward Albee, August Wilson, Zoe Caldwell, Brian Dennehy, Karl Malden, Arthur and Barbara Gelb and Wendy Wasserstein.