Lavin, the star of TV's "Alice," Broadway's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (Tony Award nomination) and the Vineyard's recent Off-Broadway run of The Lyons, recently released a new album, "Possibilities," on the Ghostlight label.
The benefit evening will be directed by Carl Andress, who recently staged the benefit concert of The Visit on Broadway for The Vineyard and The Actors Fund. The emcee and roster of talent for the evening will be announced shortly.
Lavin was acclaimed for her recent turn as a coldly comic mother, Rita, who sheds her dying husband and troubled grown children in Nicky Silver's The Lyons.
Lavin's credits over the years include the Kennedy Center's Follies, Lincoln Center Theater's Other Desert Cities, Off-Broadway's The New Century and Broadway's The Sisters Rosensweig, Collected Stories (Tony nomination), Hollywood Arms, The Diary of Anne Frank (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Gypsy (succeeding Tyne Daly), Broadway Bound (Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Helen Hayes awards), The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Tony nomination), It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman and A Family Affair.
Lavin's first so CD, "Possibilities," offering a mix of Broadway standards and cabaret songs, with musical arrangements by Billy Stritch, was recently released. Honorees of The Vineyard's Annual Gala in recent years have included Susan Stroman, John Kander, Marian Seldes, Edward Albee and Paula Vogel. The Vineyard is dedicated to new plays and musicals. It premiered groundbreaking works including the Pulitzer Prize-winning productions of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women and Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive.
Its current offering — a co-production with Naked Angels — is Outside People by Zayd Dohrn, directed by Evan Cabnet, previewing Dec. 21 prior to opening Jan. 10, 2012.
Douglas Aibel is artistic director of Vineyard Theatre, Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell is executive producer, Sarah Stern is co-artistic director and Rebecca Habel is managing director.
The Vineyard Annual Gala will be at 6 PM March 12 at the Hudson Theatre in the Millennium Broadway Hotel (145 W. 44 St.).
For more information about tickets and VIP access to the event, call (212) 353-3366 ext. 242 or email [email protected]. Tickets will go on sale in January.
