There may not have been 76 trombones, but Florence Henderson and Constantine Maroulis did excellent impersonations of librarian Marian Paroo and Harold Hill of "The Music Man" fame, as they lead a 28 piece marching Broadway band into the Skirball Cultural Center in the new Guerin Pavilion/Herscher Hall to begin an evening of co-hosting for the Actors Fund's 18th Annual Tony Awards® Party. Check out the photos below!
Among the celebrated that mingled among the crowd were: Johnny Ortiz, Hal Holbrook, Kate Linder, Mary Jo Catlett, Doris Roberts, Leonard Maltin, Thomas Kasp, Charlotte Rae, Lee Meriwether, Ramon Estevez, Anne Jeffreys, Jenny O'Hara, Gabrielle Carteris, Amanda McBroom, Cathy Rigby, Tom McCoy, Peter Hunt, Stefanie Powers, Theo Bikel, James Karen, Amy Aquino, Barbara Allyne Bennet, L. Scott Caldwell, David Rambo, Richard Herd, Ilene Graff, Marcia Rodd, Alba Francesca, Barbara Van Orden, Ruta Lee, George Pennacchio, Joe Tremaine, as well as Renée Marino and Johnny Cannizarro from the movie "Jersey Boys," to name only a few. Each and everyone were on hand as The Julie Harris Award for Artistic Achievement was presented to the Tony Award® Winning Broadway legend, Ms. Barbara Cook.The gala, which features the only west coast simulcast of the TONY® Awards in New York, was written, produced and directed by Luke Yankee, and featured special stage appearances by Nancy Dusault, Michele Lee, Roger Bart, Amanda McBroom, Carole Cook and Tom Troupe, and more before Miss Cook took her rightful place center stage and delighted the audience, just as she has been doing around the world for more than 50 years. Cook's popularity clearly continues to thrive with an ever-growing mantle of honors including the Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, a New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, her citation as a Living New York Landmark, an induction into the Theatre Hall of Fame, two Olivier Award nominations for Best Entertainment and Best Actress in a Musical and becoming the recipient and, of course, the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors.
The Julie Harris Award for Artistic Achievement
The LA Tony Party Production members Don Hill, Luke Yankee, Jomarie Ward, John Holly, Barbara Cook, Meg Thomas, Constantine Maroulis, Keith McNutt and Florence Henderson.
Actors Fund's Western Council with hosts and honoree (lft to rt: Constantine Maroulis, B. Harlan Boll, Jomarie Ward, David Rambo, Barbara Allyne Bennet, John Holly, Barbara Cook, Florence Henderson, Ilene Graff and Ilyanne Morden Kichaven)
Anne Jeffreys and Jonathan Weedman
A signed cast poster and musical quote from Frank Wildhorn's “Jekyll and Hyde.�
irst Edition copy of "Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theatre," signed by most of the book's subjects (i.e. Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Bebe Neuwirth, Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, LiLlias White, Judy Kaye, Chita Rivera, Elaine Stritch, Laura Benanti, Betty Buckley, Leslie Uggams, Carol Channing, Victoria Clark) and its author Eddie Shapiro, as well as a 2011 Actors Fund Gala Sketch & Color Print signed by Al Pacino, Bebe Neuwirth and Michael Stengal.
James Karen and Alba Francesca
SAG representatives - Ilyanne Morden Kichaven, Jenny O'Hara, Gabrielle Carteris, L. Scott Caldwell and Kate Linder
Bridgette Hanley and Lee Meriwether
Florence Henderson, Barbara Cook and Constantine Maroulis
Florence Henderson and Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis and Florence Henderson lead the Broadway Band into dinner
Barbara Cook with The Julie Harris Award
Barbara Van Orden kicks off the red carpet
Johnny Ortiz
Thomas Kasp
Renée Marino, Michael Lopez Calleja
Videos