Sondheim, who recently celebrated his 75th birthday with several all-star tributes, has chosen composer/lyricist Scott Murphy. With collaborator Nathan Christensen, Murphy is currently working on the new musical Broadcast, which will soon receive a workshop at Playwrights Horizons. TheatreWorks USA has also commissioned Murphy to adapt Lois Lowry's novel "The Giver" into a musical. Murphy is the recipient of the Dramatist Guild's 2004 Musical Theater Fellowship as well as the Jonathan Larson, Daryl Roth and Richard Rodgers awards. Actress Seldes has selected Nine Parts of Desire writer/performer Heather Raffo. Raffo, who will end her lengthy Off-Broadway run in Desire May 22, received Lucille Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for her play, which is "a portrait of the extraordinary (and ordinary) lives of a whole cross-section of Iraqi women, [and] lifts the veil on exactly what it means to be female in the age-old war zone that is Iraq." Raffo's other acting credits include the Off-Broadway productions of Over the River and Through the Woods, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Rivals.
Murphy and Raffo will be presented with their Fellowships at a June 9 luncheon at the Players Club. Kate Burton will host the afternoon event, which also honor playwright Edward Albee. Albee will be saluted by Kathleen Turner, Bill Irwin, George Grizzard, Brian Murray, Elizbaeth McCann and Marian Seldes.
Tickets for the event are priced $125 and are available by calling (212) 307 1226. The Players Club is located in Manhattan at 16 Gramercy Park (East 20th Street between Park and Third Avenues)