Carl Andress will direct the annual fundraiser, which was created by singer-actress Phyllis Newman. In her April 2 blog for Playbill.com, Newman writes, "This year we're doing a very special [Dame with the theme] A Party for Comden and Green.....with many of the original players from their shows and revivals, etc. re-creating their songs and talking about their experiences. We'll mix media....and have an evening full of surprises and entertainment." Newman has been blogging for Playbill.com's PlayBlog all week. To read her entries, click here.

Phyllis Newman made her Broadway debut in 1952 in the original musical comedy Wish You Were Here. She received a Tony Award for her performance in Subways Are for Sleeping and a Tony nomination for her work in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound. Her other Broadway credits include Bells Are Ringing, First Impressions, Moonbirds, The Apple Tree, On the Town, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Madwoman of Central Park West and Awake and Sing! She married Adolph Green in 1960 with whom she had two children, Amanda and Adam. Newman is the founder of the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, part of the Actors' Fund of America.

The Actors' Fund of America is the only national non-profit organization that provides for the social welfare of all entertainment professionals. Since 1996, The Actors’ Fund has focused on helping women in the industry who are coping with critical health concerns through The Fund's Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. Initiated by Actors’ Fund Trustee Newman, the Women’s Health Initiative offers a roster of services to help women access health care and to coordinate support services.