The concert celebration of Irving's career will be presented Dec. 8 at The Players Club in Manhattan. The concert will feature the talents of Joy Abbott, Loni Ackerman, Jim Dale, Jill Eikenberry, Anita Gillette, Josh Grisetti, Michael Tucker, Jane Powell, Charlotte Rae and Maryann Plunkett. Donald Saddler will direct.

The evening will begin at 5 PM with a cocktail reception and dinner at Japonais, followed by the 8:15 PM performance at the Players Club. A champagne-dessert reception will conclude the evening, also at the Players.

The Oscar Hammerstein Award, according to press notes, is "named in honor of the legendary lyricist who helped shape the American musical theatre through his collaborations with a number of different composers and writers." Past recipients include Stephen Sondheim, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Harold Prince, Cy Coleman, Charles Strouse, Arthur Laurents, Jerry Herman, Stephen Schwartz, Peter Stone, David Merrick, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Terrence McNally, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Carol Channing, Tony Walton and Joseph Stein.

Alice Hammerstein Mathias will present Irving with his award.

The Players Club is located in Manhattan at 16 Gramercy Park. For more information visit yorktheatre.org or call (212) 935-5824, ext. 15.

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The York Theatre Company is dedicated to "developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past."