Jackson, Eder, Murney Perform at Only Make Believe Benefit, Nov. 7, with Award Given to Gifford

By: BWW News Desk Oct. 26, 2005

Hayley Mills, Cheyenne Jackson, David Josefsberg, Andy Karl, Tyler Maynard, Linda Eder, Adriane Lenox, Julia Murney, Chad Kimball, Andrew Lippa, Ashley Brown, Montego Glover, and Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan, will gather for the fifth annual gala benefit for Only Make Believe on Monday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Hotel (145 West 44th Street). The event will be directed by Joe DiPietro, with musical direction by Seth Rudetsky.
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The evening will showcase Broadway's brightest starts as they unite in a benefit performance on behalf of Only Make Believe, a charity that brings the magic of musical theater to chronically-ill children. Karen LeFrak, OMB's 2004 James Hammerstein Award recipient, will present the 2005 James Hammerstein Award to Kathie Lee Gifford, in recognition of her outstanding humanitarian efforts to help children in need.

Dedicated to the principle that freeing a child's creative spirit is a valuable part of the healing process, Only Make Believe was founded six years ago and has already provided hundreds of workshops to thousands of children in New York City medical facilities. With a professional troupe of multi-racial, multi-ethnic actors, Only Make Believe actively engages the children in performance, treating them as collaborators in a theatrical experience. This is the key to the success of Only Make Believe: Each child takes an active part in a cycle of fantastic and imaginative adventures.

Since it was founded in 1999, OMB has performed workshops for over 7,000 children in 18 hospitals throughout New York City. Only Make Believe partners with medical institutions that serve diverse communities regardless of their ability to pay. Participating hospitals include Bellevue Hospital Center, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, The Elmhurst Hospital Center, Foundling Hospital, The Harlem Hospital, Incarnation Children's Center, King's County Hospital Center, Lincoln Hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, Metropolitan Hospital Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, NYU Hospitals Center, and St. Mary's Hospital for Children.

Each Only Make Believe cycle consists of six one-hour workshops. The actors arrive at the facility armed with a trunk load of colorful costumes, props and backdrops, prepared to lead the children on an exciting theatrical journey. The stories are scripted in such a way as to help the children deal with their fears and problems, but are acted out with plenty of room for improvisation. At the end of the cycle, the trunk is left behind as a gift to the facility, encouraging play even after the Only Make Believe sessions are complete.

Tickets are $250 and $150 (performance only). For more information, call 646-336-1500. For more information, visit www.onlymakebelieve.org.

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Jackson, Eder, Murney Perform at Only Make Believe Benefit, Nov. 7, with Award Given to Gifford

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