Carnegie Diva List Grows for Sept. 28 Benefit | Playbill

Related Articles
News Carnegie Diva List Grows for Sept. 28 Benefit The list of songbirds nesting at Carnegie Hall for "My Favorite Broadway - The Leading Ladies," a Sept. 28 benefit, will include stage performers from Andrews to Ziemba.

The list of songbirds nesting at Carnegie Hall for "My Favorite Broadway - The Leading Ladies," a Sept. 28 benefit, will include stage performers from Andrews to Ziemba.

Although Andrews will host and not sing, a more complete list of diva singers has been announced: It includes Nell Carter, Lea DeLaria, Jennifer Holliday, Ann Kendrick, Judy Kuhn, Priscilla Lopez, Dorothy Loudon, Marin Mazzie, Andrea McArdle, Audra McDonald, Liza Minnelli, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Rosie O'Donnell, Faith Prince, Chita Rivera and Karen Ziemba.

Previously announced were Betty Buckley, Chita Rivera and Ann Reinking, among others. The show will be recorded for release on CD and on video for PBS' "Great Performances" series. No record label or release date for the CD has been announced.

Tickets went on sale Sept. 8 (via Carnegie Charge). Some of the proceeds from ticket sales ($50 $250) will go to AmFAR and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

* According to Tony Adams, producer of the Andrews vehicle Victor/Victoria, Andrews will definitely not sing, as she's still recuperating from an operation on her vocal cords. (On the plus side, Adams says (July 20) Andrews is getting better daily, and she's already booking concert engagements -- yes, singing concert engagements -- for next year.) Rivera's credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman and a current touring show that may still be Broadway bound. Buckley appeared in Triumph of Love and will play Mama Rose in Paper Mill Playhouse's upcoming Gypsy. Reinking choreographed and starred in the current Broadway hit revival, Chicago, and is helping shape the Broadway bound dance revue, Fosse.

A member of the Theatre Hall of Fame, Andrews' credits include My Fair Lady and Camelot. Andrews' last Broadway show was Victor/Victoria, a run hampered by vocal troubles that nixed her participation in a mini-tour of the musical. Co-producer Jeff Rowland (of John Scher's Metropolitan Entertainment) told the Post Andrews would be invited to sing at the Carnegie concert, "but it's totally up to her."

Scott Ellis 1776 will direct "The Leading Ladies" event, and co- producer Allen Newman, also of Metropolitan Entertainment, confirmed a New York Post report that Vanessa Williams, Patti LuPone, Whoopi Goldberg and Natasha Richardson are also interested in taking part in the event, which is being presented by Continental Airlines. Newman added that many of "the usual suspects" were also in talks to appear, including Liza Minnelli, Dorothy Loudon and Elaine Stritch.

Co-producer Tony Adams told the Post "What we're really excited about is that this is the beginning of a whole series of the best and brightest of Broadway... Conceivably they could last several days to a week or more."

Why Carnegie Hall? Producer Newman told Playbill On-Line, "Finding a Broadway theatre was logistically difficult, plus the cachet and status Carnegie Hall [2,800 seats] brings just with its name is enough to put this program at a level where it should be. We're talking about some very classy, stylized women and music."

Tom Thompson will write narration for the show, which Newman assures will not "just be divas doing a bunch of ballads. The show's going to be fun, with humor and a broad-based look at the greatest hits of Broadway."

Asked about future plans for the series, Newman said, "It's too early to plan at the moment, but of course, we're considering a "Leading Men" version, and I'd like to try a Rhythm & Blues version. Still, the title would always be "My Favorite Broadway," and it would be songs that are audience favorites and the performers' favorites.

-- By Kenneth Jones -- By David Lefkowitz and Robert Simonson

 
RELATED:
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!