Cook and McDonald to Team Up for Paper Mill Benefit, 6/19

On June 19th at 7:30 PM, the legendary star of The Music Man and the four-time Tony Award-winner will share the stage of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ for the benefit evening Barbara Cook and Audra McDonald in Concert.

The gala evening will also feature a pre-show garden party, the concert and a post-show dessert reception with the two sopranos.

Cook, who made her Broadway debut as the leading lady of 1951's Flahooley, received a Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for her portrayal of Marian Paroo in the original production of The Music Man. She also originated the roles of Cunegonde in Candide and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. Other Broadway credits include Plain and Fancy, The Gay Life, Any Wednesday and The Grass Harp. In the last few decades, the former ingenue has increasingly turned to the worlds of concert and cabaret. Mostly Sondheim was nominated for a Best Special Theatrical Event Tony in 2002, and in addition to Barbara Cook's Broadway (available on DRG along with Mostly Sondheim), she appeared in Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre. Her many albums include "Count Your Blessings," "It's Better with a Band," "Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II," "Close as Pages in a Book," "The Champion Season: Live at the Cafe Carlyle" and "Tribute."

McDonald, who can be seen on the new WB show "The Bedford Diaries," was recently announced to star in the Roundabout Theatre Company's spring 2007 revival of the musical 110 in the Shade. She won Tony Awards for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime and most recently, A Raisin in the Sun. She has also appeared on Broadway in Henry IV and Marie Christine. "Way Back to Paradise," "How Glory Goes" and "Happy Songs" are her solo albums. McDonald's film and television credits include It Runs in the Family, "Mister Sterling," Cradle Will Rock, "Law and Order: SVU," the telemusical of Annie, and the HBO movie Wit. She is also acclaimed as a concert artist, and was recently seen in the Houston Grand Opera's double bill of Michael John LaChiusa's (who are you? I Love You) and Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine.

Benefit packages are available for $175-$500 by calling Felicia Lipchik Gell at (973) 379-3636, ext. 2547. Tickets for the performance only, which range from $75-$150, can be purchased by calling (973) 376-4343 or by visiting www.papermill.org.