Dancers Over 40 honors prolific director/choreographer Joe Layton, who crossed all mediums to create memorable musicals, TV specials, concerts and much more, including Two by Two, Sail Away, Once Upon a Mattress, Sound of Music, No Strings, Dear World, George M!, and Barnum, just to name a few. DO40 members who have worked with Joe on multiple shows and will be panelists include Nicole Barth, James Dybas, Dorothy Frank Danner, Carolyn Kirsch, Sondra Lee, Lawrence Leritz, Patti Mariano, Lawrence Merritt and Mary Zahn.

Grover Dale, Bob Fitch, Terrence Mann, Marianne Tatum and Susan Guthrie Lowrance, former dancer in The Lost Colony and Joe’s personal friend who is preserving his history, will provide special insight into the man and his craft. Rare video footage, video tributes and performances round out the show, featuring Loni Ackerman, Jill O’Hara and Walter Willison.

Host Bruce Vilanch worked as a writer on Joe’s productions of Bette Midler’s Clams on a Half Shell and Platinum, with Alexis Smith and Lisa Mordente and will speak with Joe’s creative team at the beginning of the program (including Lynn Summerall, Fred Voelpel and some surprise guests). The Tribute will take place on Monday, October 20th, 2014, at 7 pm, St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th St., NYC.

Dancers Over 40 is an all-volunteer, membership-driven non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving the History, Legacy and Lives of our mature creative community, while sharing the knowledge with the younger generation just beginning their careers. The event will be videotaped and donated to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at Lincoln Center’s Library for the Performing Arts.

Tickets: $45 for non-members ($65 for premium seats); $25 for members of Dancers Over 40 with discount code. Reservations: Telecharge, 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com; DO40 members call 212-947-8844 or www.broadwayoffers.com with discount code. St. Luke’s Box Office open 2 – 6pm daily, at 308 West 46th Street. For more information on DO40 and this event, call our Hotline at 212-330-7016.

The post Bruce Vilanch Will Host The Joe Layton Tribute at St.Luke’sTheater, 10/20 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

An electrifying story of ambition and survival, Platinum stars Donna Bullock (Ragtime, City of Angels, A Class Act) as Lila Halliday, a dazzling Hollywood legend trying to make a comeback in the explosive music industry of the 1970s. Determined to reignite her career, she turns to rock star Dan Riley and finds herself falling for him as they both fight to stay in the game.

Written by Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch (Hairspray, “Hollywood Squares”) and Tony Award nominees Will Holt and Gary William Friedman (The Me Nobody Knows), this new version features revisions and direction by Ben West (How Now, Dow Jones). The musical is choreographed by Rommy Sandhu (How Now, Dow Jones, Mary Poppins) with musical arrangements by Mr. Friedman (“The Electric Company”), musical direction by Fran Minarik (Sessions, The J.A.P. Show), costume design by Janine Marie McCabe (Waiting for the Moon) and lighting design by Joe Hodge (Perfect Crime).

The original Broadway production opened November 12, 1978 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre starring Alexis Smith under the direction of Joe Layton. The musical played 33 performances and received two Tony nominations for Smith and co-star Richard Cox.

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