What with last month’s wildfires, this week’s writers’ strike, and Britney Spears still out there somewhere behind the wheel … Haven’t the residents of Los Angeles County suffered enough? Don’t the 10-million-plus people who live in California’s most populous county deserve some sort of break from all this stress & smoke? Or — at the very least — from having their feet run over by Ms. Spears’ wayward white Mercedes?
Well, if you live in LA and find that your spirits are in need of a lift, here’s what you need to do. Make plans now to go to Glendale tonight. To be specific, to the historic Alex Theatre. Where you can then cheer yourself up as well as help a great cause by buying a ticket to “Two’s Company: A Celebration of the Songs of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.”
This fundraiser (which will benefit the Los Angeles City College Theatre Alumni & Associates and the Theatre Academy) is literally a once-in-a-lifetime event. For one night only, some of the most talented folks working in musical theatre today will be performing numbers from Disney favorites like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty & the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” & “Newsies” as well as Broadway smashes like “Wicked,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Godspell,” “Pippin” and “The Magic Show.”
LACC alumni Cindy Williams will serve as the evening’s MC. As for the other performers who are slated to appear tonight, here’s an alphabetical listing of the “Two’s Company” company:
- Christina Saffran Ashford (“White Christmas,” “The Mystery Of Edwin Drood“)
- Matthew Ashford (“Days Of Our Lives”)
- David Burnham (“Light In The Piazza“)
- Patrick Cassidy (“Assassins,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat“)
- Kirsten Benton Chandler (“The Marvelous Wonderettes“)
- Ramon Del Barrio (“Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life“)
- Kevin Earley (“Can-Can,” “Sleeping Beauty Wakes“)
- Juliana Hansen (“Grease: You’re The One That I Want,” “Les Miz“)
- Kim Huber (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes”)
- Zane Huett (“Desperate Housewives”)
- Gregory Jbara (“Damn Yankees,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels“)
- Chad Kimball (“Godspell,” “Into The Woods“)
- Vicki Lewis (“Damn Yankees,” “Chicago,” “NewsRadio“)
- Beth Malone (“Sister Act – The Musical”)
- Michelle Nicastro (“Les Miz,” “The Swan Princess“)
- Valarie Pettiford (“Fosse,” “Chicago”)
- Linda Purl (Lifetime TV movie queen, “The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer“)
- Rex Smith (“Grand Hotel“)
- Kevin Spirtas (“Days Of Our Lives,” “Hairspray“)
- Alice Ripley (“The Rocky Horror Show,” “Side Show,” “Sunset Blvd.“)
- Alet Taylor (Las Vegas company of “The Producers”)
- Andy Taylor (“The Producers” national tour as Leo, “Moon Over Buffalo”)
- Bruce Vilanch (“Hairspray,” “Hollywood Squares”)
- Jennifer Leigh Warren (“Little Shop of Horrors”)
… As well as Julie Reiber & Emily Rozek from the LA company of “Wicked.” I’m also told that there might be a surprise or two tonight (like the world premiere of an enchanting new song from a certain soon-to-be-released motion picture). Plus did I mention that Mr. Menken & Mr. Schwartz are expected to be in attendance ?
All this … Plus tonight’s LACCTAA fundraiser will feature a silent auction. And among the items that will be up for bid are vacation packages, theater tickets, evenings filled with fine dining as well as some one-of-a-kind musical quotes that will be signed by some of the theater’s finest living composers. Which include Stephen Sondheim, John Kander, Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens and — of course — the two Academy Award-winners that are being honored at tonight’s event.
“Two’s Company” sounds like it’s like going to be a magical night of musical theatre, with some great songs being sung by a stellar group of performers. And did I mention that the price of your ticket will be totally tax deductible?
So if you’d like to help a good cause (Or — at the very least — be someplace safe indoors where, in theory, Britney Spears can’t then run over your foot) why not call the Alex Theatre box office right now at (818) 243-2539 ? Or — better yet — book your tickets for “Two’s Company: A Celebration of the Songs of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz” by clicking on this link?