Spring Gala 2009

Classic songs, glittery stars and the swankiest crowd in town…all of this could be found on Monday, April 6, 2009 at Roundabout’s annual Spring Gala: Take Me Back to Manhattan. It was an unforgettable night celebrating the Golden Age of New York City, with Roseland Ballroom transformed into an elegant nightclub circa 1940.

    Nathan Lane hosted the festivities before an audience that included many Roundabout favorites: Philip Bosco, Blair Brown, Matthew Broderick, Margaret Colin, John Glover, David Grindley, Jason Butler Harner, Doug Hughes, Bill Irwin, Eddie Izzard, Stephen Karam, Cherry Jones, Steven Levenson, Robert Longbottom, Jason Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Lily Rabe, Richard Thomas, Steven Weber, Julie White, and Maury Yeston. The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre was presented to both Douglas Durst of The Durst Organization and Bank of America who have asked Roundabout to be the conservator of the newly rebuilt Henry Miller’s Theatre in the new Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, bringing this Golden Age theatre back to Broadway.

    The highlight of the evening was an original musical revue directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall (Tony Award winner for The Pajama Game) featuring timeless music by composers like Arlen, Ellington and Gershwin performed by top Broadway stars: Mario Cantone, Edie Falco, Boyd Gaines, Cheyenne Jackson, Steve Kazee, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Martha Plimpton and Brooke Shields. The evening also featured a jazz-singing quartet made up of Peter Benson, Jeff Kready, Laura Osnes, and Richard Roland, along with the incredible swing dancing of Nick Adams, Shawn Emamjomeh, Lisa Gajda and Lorin Latarro.

    Through the hard work of Gala Chair Lois Robbins and the entire Board of Directors, the event netted nearly $1.2 million. This money will go directly to Roundabout’s Musical Theatre Fund, whose mission is to support the production of such Broadway musicals as last season’s Sunday in the Park with George, this year’s Pal Joey, and next fall’s Bye, Bye Birdie for the benefit of new generations of artists and audiences.