Brush Up Your Bernstein

By Barbara & Scott Siegel, TheatreMania.com

Nightlife Notes column

Nov 26, 2003

 

Musical Theatre Works tossed a benefit for itself and pegged its financial goals on the drawing power of Leonard Bernstein. Smart folks! Bernstein not only draws an audience of fans who love his music, he also draws talented performers who want to sing his works.

The combination of great music and great voices verged on nuclear when Audra MacDonald (she's everywhere!) performed "A Little Bit in Love" from Wonderful Town and David Miller, one of the Rodolfi in the recent Broadway production of La Bohème, performed "Maria" from West Side Story. David Hyde Pierce hosted the evening in hilarious fashion, insisting throughout that he has always wanted to play Bernardo in WSS. Lonny Price directed the show with great flair.

Talent flowed like wine as the show proceeded: Betty Buckley, Mary Testa, Judy Blazer, and Harolyn Blackwell were just some of the top-flight stars who gave of themselves for a worthy cause. Bravo Bernstein! proved once again that benefits are often the best shows that money can buy.