By Andrew Gans
28 Nov 2003

IN OTHER DIVA NEWS OF THE WEEK: Stand back, Elaine Stritch. Here comes Chita Rivera! Playwright Terrence McNally is currently working on a solo show for Tony Award winner Rivera. It will be a reunion, of sorts, for the duo, who worked together during the world premiere of Kander and Ebb's The Visit at the Goodman Theatre in 2001. The Rivera biographical evening — produced by Marty Bell and featuring direction by Graciela Daniele — will receive a workshop production next summer at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. . . . Tyne Daly, Jason Graae and Rod McKuen will be part of the benefit concert Dreidels and Sleighbells Dec. 8 in Los Angeles. The one-night-only event will benefit the West Coast Ensemble and Actors' Fund of America and will be held in the Magnin Auditorium of the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles. Show time is 8 PM. Daly, a Tony Award winner for her performance in the 1989 revival of Gypsy, will read Temple Bailey's classic story, "A Candle in the Forest." Graae, who has appeared in Falsettos and Ragtime, will offer excerpts from his one man show, and poet-singer Rod McKuen will offer several selections from his repertoire. Tickets are priced $50 (performance only), $100 (performance and dessert reception) and $150 (VIP seating, performance, reception and holiday gift bag). Call (323) 525-0022 for reservations. . . . Karen Mason, who was most recently on Broadway as Tanya in the hit musical Mamma Mia!, will offer her acclaimed Christmas concert next month. Mason brings her "Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!" evening to the Supper Club's King Kong Room Dec. 8 and 13. Show time is 7 PM. Concertgoers can expect to hear Mason's interpretations of "We Need a Little Christmas," "Count Your Blessings," "It's Today," "Joy to the World," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and several other holiday classics. On Dec. 8, Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte will follow Mason with a 9 PM show of holiday tunes. On Dec. 13 songwriters Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich will follow Mason with an evening celebrating the release of their new songbook. Scott Coulter and Norm Lewis will make guest appearances during the Heisler/Goldrich evening. The King Kong Room at the Supper Club is located in Manhattan at 240 West 47th Street. Covers range from $20-$25 plus a $15 food/drink minimum. Call (212) 921-1904 for reservations. . . . A host of theatre favorites will take part in the Dec. 15 concert, "Miracle on 47th Street," to benefit God's Love We Deliver. Those scheduled to lend their voices to the holiday fundraiser include Avenue Q's John Tartaglia, The Boy From Oz' Stephanie Block, recent Chess star Julia Murney, Dance of the Vampires' Max von Essen, Bat Boy's Deven May and Into the Woods' Laura Benanti. Directed by Jamie McGonnigal with musical direction by Mark Hartman, "Miracle on 47th Street" will feature brand-new holiday tunes by some of the city's up-n-coming writers as well as several seasonal classics. Show time is 7 and 9 PM at the Supper Club's King Kong Room. "Jim Caruso's Cast Party" will follow the concert at 10:30 PM. There is a $25 cover charge and a $15 food/drink minimum for the Dec. 15 concert; call (212) 921-1904 for reservations.

REMINDERS

Betty Buckley in Concert:

Liz Callaway in Concert:

Dec. 13 in Arlington, VA
Jan. 17, 2004 in Asheville, NC
Jan. 31 in Sibling Revelry in Boston, MA
Feb. 8 in Sibling Revelry in Riverfront, IL
Feb. 14 with Jason Graae in Palm Springs, CA
Feb. 26-28 with Jason Graae in West Palm Beach, FL
April 24-25 with Jason Graae in San Rafael, CA
May 1 in Sibling Revelry in Orono, ME
May 8 in Sibling Revelry in Purchase, NY

Barbara Cook in Concert:

Nov. 29 in Mostly Sondheim at the Paramount Theatre in Peeksill, NY

Patti LuPone in Concert:

Jan. 23, 2004 at the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Jan. 24, 2004 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL
Feb. 27-29, 2004 at the Myerhoff Hall in Baltimore, MD
March 12, 2004 at the New Jersey PAC in Newark, NJ
March 13 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ

Christiane Noll in Concert

Dec. 31 Des Moines, IA with Des Moines Symphony & Brad Little

Louise Pitre in Concert:

Jan. 31, 2004-Feb. 8 in Sweeney Todd with the Calgary Opera Company at the Jubilee Auditorium in Canada
Feb. 13 at the Capitol Theatre in Windsor, Ontario
Feb. 28 at the Sanderson Performing Arts Centre in Brantford, Ontario
Feb. 29 at the Silverthorn C.I. Auditorium in Toronto, Ontario

Well, that’s all for now. Happy diva-watching!