Photo Coverage: BACHARACH TO THE FUTURE Benefit at New World Stages

POZ's "Bacharch to the Future" Fundraiser brought music and promise to the New World Stages on Monday, December 1, 2008, World AIDS Day. 

The premier performance of Bacharach to the Future, a fund-raiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, honored music legend Burt Bacharach, the composer of "That's What Friends Are For," the pioneering recording that benefited The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) in 1985.

Promises, Promises, Mr. Bacharach's award winning musical, opened on Broadway forty years ago December 1, 1968. Special guests  include:Katie Adams (Wicked), Bethann Bonner (One Life to Live), Kerry Butler (Hairspray, Xanadu), Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon), Franc D'Ambrosio (Phantom of the Opera), Ted Detwiler (Sordid Lives), Kevin Earley (A Tale of Two Cities, Les Miserables), Natalie Hiatt (Leading Ladies) Christian Hoff (Pal Joey, Jersey Boys), Christopher Jackson (Pal Joey, Jersey Boys), Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard), Ilene Kristen (Grease, Ryan's Hope, One Life to Live), Sherri Lewis (Divas Simply Singing), Jill O'Hara (Hair, George M! Promises, Promises), Billy Porter (Angels in America, Jesus Christ Superstar), Linda Purl (Tom Sawyer), Julie Reiber (Wicked, Rent), Tony Roberts (Promises, Promises, Xanadu, Victor/Victoria) Michael Rupert (Sweet Charity), Kevin Spirtas (The Boy from OZ), Matt Walton (Hair, Burn After Reading), andPearce Wegener (Gypsy).

The director was Bruce Kimmel (The First Nudie Musical, The Brain From Planet X) and the musical director for the night was Alex Rybeck (Grand Hotel, Damn Yankees).

This show launched a partnership between POZ and BC/EFA. It continues a solid history of POZ fund-raising for AIDS Walk these last two years. Bacharach to the Future is POZ's tribute to the industry that has been in the forefront in helping to fight this disease.

POZ is the premier lifestyle, treatment and advocacy magazine for people living with-and those affected by-HIV and AIDS. The award-winning magazine and website (poz.com) provide the most complete and expert HIV/AIDS information available in the United States. Together, the magazine and website reach more than 70 percent of all of those people living with HIV/AIDS who are aware of their status, inspiring and empowering in readership. The website provides extensive opportunity for both public and private social networking and represents one of the largest communities of openly HIV-positive people in the world. Poz.com offers exclusive Web-only content including a summary of daily national and international AIDS news, daily treatment news and special reports on a wide variety of cultural, social, political and medical topics. For more information, please visit poz.com.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses. BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors' Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, ThePhyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic at The Aurora in NYC, The Dancers' Resource and two supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations yearly. For more information: www.broadwaycares.org.  

Photos by Linda Lenzi 

Natalie Hiatt and Ilene Kristen

John Bolton

Barbara Porteus, Terry Burrell, Allison Blackwell, Catherine Porter and Holly Hylton

Natalie Hiatt and Franc D'Ambrosio

Kevin Earley and Franc D'Ambrosio

Liz Callaway and Dan Foster

Tara Siesenser and Jody Reynard

Ted Detwiler and Bruce Kimmel

Will Chase and Stephanie Gibson

Bruce Kimmel and Jill O'Hara

Kevin Spirtas and Linda Purl

Ron Abel, Kevin Spirtas, Linda Purl and Chuck Steffan

Pearce Wegener and Sherri Lewis

Ron Abel, Franc D'Ambrosio and Chuck Steffan

Will Chase, Pearce Wegener and Stephanie Gibson

Allison Blackwell and John Pagano

Michele Ramo and Giovanni Vitacolonna