"I Hear Music": Stars Will Sing Frank Loesser in Actors Fund Concert at Broadway's Minskoff
By Kenneth Jones
26 Oct 2009
Co-hosts Kevin McCollum, Annette Bening and Jonathan Tisch
photo by Aubrey Reuben
Hugh Jackman, Audra McDonald, Chita Rivera and Brian Stokes Mitchell are just a few of the stars appearing in Chance and Chemistry: A Centennial Celebration of Frank Loesser , an Oct. 26 concert to benefit The Actors Fund. Paul McCartney is also expected to sing.
The Minskoff Theatre will host one of the starriest gatherings of the fall season. The concert begins at 7:30 PM. The event is co-chaired by Jo Sullivan Loesser (the widow of the honored composer-lyricist) and Sir Paul McCartney, and hosted by Annette Bening, Kevin McCollum and Jonathan Tisch.
Playbill.com has learned the following about the concert's song list:
Paul McCartney will sing "On a Slow Boat to China."
Nia Vardalos will make her singing debut on Broadway with a surprise song.
Advertisement
"You Understand Me," from the uncompleted last show Loesser worked on, Senor Discretion Himself , will be sung by Emily Loesser and Jo Sullivan Loesser.
Michele Lee from original How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying " (and movie) will sing "I
Believe in You" from that show.
Brian Stokes Mitchell will sing "Luck Be a Lady" from Guys and Dolls .
Brynn Williams of 13 and Bye Bye Birdie will sing "Rumble, Rumble, Rumble."
For ticket availability, check Ticketmaster.com or by call (212) 307-4100 or (800) 982-2787. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Contact The Actors Fund at (212) 221-7300 ext. 133. For updates, please
visit www.actorsfund.org.
*
Jo Sullivan Loesser, co-chair for the concert event, stated, "I'm so
honored that so many wonderful stars are paying tribute to Frank at this
special evening."
"I was very happy to be asked to attend this special evening," stated Sir
Paul McCartney. "As a tribute to a man whose work I greatly
admire, I will be singing one of his songs and I'm looking forward to
it."
The list of participants as of Oct. 23 includes Laura Benanti, John
Bolton, Ashley Brown, Charles Busch, Liz Callaway, Alan Campbell, Mario Cantone, Art Garfunkel, Ana Gasteyer, Debbie Gravitte, Hugh Jackman, Ramona Keller, Lauren Kennedy, Marc Kudisch, Judy Kuhn, Liz Larsen, Michele Lee, Emily
Loesser, Jo Sullivan Loesser, Sir Paul McCartney, Audra McDonald, John
McMartin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Julia Murney, Phyllis Newman, Steven
Pasquale, Noah Racey, Chita Rivera, Christopher Sieber, John Stamos, Nia
Vardalos, Gerry Vichi, Brynn Williams and Patrick Wilson, as well as characters from "Sesame Street."
The evening will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli
(South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George, Altar Boyz ) with musical direction by Brad Haak (Mary Poppins ).
*
Composer-lyricist Frank Loesser wrote pop songs, film songs and theatre songs alone and with others. He supplied both music and lyrics for such varied works
as Guys & Dolls, Where's Charley?, The Most Happy Fella and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying . Born June 29, 1910, in New York City, he wrote his first song at the age of six. In 1931, he teamed with William Schuman (future president of
Juilliard), resulting in his first published song, "In Love with a
Memory of You." In 1936, Loesser and composer Irving Actman contributed
five songs to The Illustrator's Show. It closed after five
performances, but landed them a Hollywood contract. There Loesser
provided lyrics for the music of such greats as Jule Styne, Hoagy
Carmichael, and Burton Lane, producing hits such as "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," "Heart and Soul", "Two Sleepy People," and the 1948 Academy Award winner, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," for which he also
supplied the music.
In the midst of his stage work, Loesser returned to Hollywood and created
one of his best loved scores for the film Hans Christian Andersen, which
featured "Wonderful Copenhagen," "Anywhere I Wander," "The Inch Worm" and "Thumbelina."
Since Loesser's untimely death in 1969, The Most Happy Fella has been revived on Broadway and at the New York City Opera (where it has become part of the permanent repertory); How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying returned in 1995 (and is being developed for a commercial run in the coming year), Guys and Dolls won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Revival, and returned in 2009 for its fourth run on Broadway. In 1999, Frank Loesser was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a postage stamp bearing his likeness.
*
In New York City, The Actors Fund has produced a string of successful
one-night-only benefits including the acclaimed 20th Anniversary concert
of Dreamgirls (recorded on Nonesuch Records), Funny Girl with Sutton Foster, Jane
Krakowski and Kristin Chenoweth, Chess with Josh Groban, Hair with
Jennifer Hudson (recorded on Ghostlight Records, Grammy nomination), On
the Twentieth Century with Douglas Sills and Marin Mazzie, The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas with Emily Skinner and Terrence Mann, Brian Stokes Mitchell at Carnegie Hall and last year's all-star reading of All
About Eve with Annette Bening and Keri Russell.
The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps all
professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund, which
supports actors and performers and everyone behind the scenes who works in theatre, film, TV, music, dance, radio and opera, is a safety net, providing social services and emergency assistance, health services,
employment and training programs and housing support for those who are in need, crisis or transition. Learn more about The Actors Fund at
www.actorsfund.org.
Playbill Club Featured Offer
Finian's Rainbow
Members pay as low as $69!
Click here for details.