Now the performers who will be appearing reads like a who's who list from the New York theatre community...was the response to assembling the folks to join in on the evening a surprise to you?
We knew that as much as we loved Fran we couldn't sell tickets to a show called "An Evening Honoring Fran Liebergall!" So we needed something fun and catchy to get an audience's attention in a town that has a dozen benefits a week. wholesale Rockstar hatsWe batted around some titles using lines from shows or titles of songs and then we focused on that this was a celebration of community... six degrees of musical theater, etc. and, at one point, I think it was Murphy who blurted out "Six Degrees of Marvin Hamlisch." We laughed and thought is was a fun title that allowed us to include ANYone who wanted to be a part of this amazing night. We're ALL six degrees of Marvin Hamlisch. When Lucie reached out Marvin, he thought it was a fun idea and has absolutely thrown himself into the event.
Who came up with the idea for the project?
As you know cheap POLO hats Murphy and I have been directing and producing together for about ten years now and we were approached to put a fundraiser together for our dear friend Fran Liebergall, who is living with MS. I was working with her on Godspell, off-Broadway at the Promenade, when Marvin Hamlisch came to the show and offered her the position of rehearsal pianist for a little workshop he was doing at The Public Theater called "A Chorus Line." Fran has been associated with just about every musical done by Marvin and Michael Bennett, as music supervisor, keyboardist and assistant. Donna Murphy and Lucie had each worked with her on They're Playing Our Song and Bonnie Kole is, as she describes herself, wholesale POLO hats a civilian... some civilian, she knows more about who, what, and where of Broadway than any civilian I've met! She is an old friend of Fran's. The Actors Fund has been guiding us and will be the beneficiary of the event. They have been there for Fran and as we all know, they offer assistance for all those involved in the entertainment industry. We wanted to raise money and honor Fran for all her work behind the scenes. She was involved in casting and teaching just about every performer who was in the original productions of A Chorus Line, They're Playing Our Song, etc. That's why we are all producing together and that's why so many are participating. cheap New era mlb hatsThis one's for Fran.