Presented by the Actors Fund, the Tony bash will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Stage and screen star Dick Van Dyke, who co-starred with Rivera in Bye Bye Birdie, hosts the event; Lisa Mordente will present the award to her mother.
Those expected to attend include Jason Alexander, Dana Delany, Marg Helgenberger, Valarie Pettiford, Carol Lawrence, Dick Gautier, Mitzi Gaynor and Susan Watson.
The event is produced and written by Marc Cherry (producer/creator of "Desperate Housewives") and David Rambo (producer/writer of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation").
The festivities begin at 3:30 PM with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner and the live Tony telecast from 5-8 PM. The presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award will immediately follow.
Previous recipients of the Julie Harris Award include Tommy Tune, Jerry Herman, Julie Harris, Gwen Verdon, Charles Durning, Rita Moreno, James Earl Jones, Tyne Daly, Lauren Bacall, Carol Channing, Stockard Channing and Liza Minnelli. Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in 1933, Chita Rivera is one of the theatre's most acclaimed performers. She has won Tony Awards for her performances in two Kander and Ebb musicals, The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and was also nominated for her work in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Bring Back Birdie, Merlin, Jerry's Girls and her most recent outing, the Tony-winning revival of Nine. Rivera's other Broadway credits include the musical Seventh Heaven, her Broadway debut; Mr. Wonderful; the original production of West Side Story; and Bajour. She appeared in the film version of "Sweet Charity," starred in the world premiere of Kander and Ebb's The Visit, and also headlined Bernarda Alba at the Mark Taper Forum. Rivera was most recently on Broadway in Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life. She was recently seen in the Signature Theatre's production of The Visit.
Tickets for the 13th Annual Tony Awards Party are available by calling (323) 933-9244, ext. 54. The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 North Sepulveda Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.
For more information visit www.actorsfund.org.
