“40 YEARS OF BEING ALIVE” EVENT PREVIEW
I’m excited to be attending a very worthwhile event, which is sure to be fabulous, on the afternoon of September 12th, and all of you can be there, as well! I’m even giving-up going to several Emmys gifting suites for it, so you know it’s going to be good! So let me preview the festivities for you.
The title of the event is 40 Years of Being Alive, and it’s a commemorative fundraising celebration of Being Alive/People with AIDS Action Coalition, which is one of the oldest HIV support organizations in Los Angeles. With so many other world problems plaguing us these days, I feel that many people have forgotten about HIV and AIDS, and we mustn’t let the awareness and support, both financial and emotional, fade away. The non-profit Being Alive is keeping that knowledge, well, alive. The proceeds from this benefit event will go to them for that ongoing mission.
Joseph Leahy.
40 Years of Being Alive will be held at a venue I don’t think I’ve ever been to, (which makes it even more interesting)—the Victory Ballroom of the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown LA. (But no worries there—the VIP tix include complimentary parking!)
The afternoon will begin with a cocktail reception, and then move on to the awards ceremony. There will be a duo of recipients of the Spirit of Hope Awards. One will go to my old pal, writer, comedian, advocate, and all-around popular dude, Bruce Vilanch, and the other to actress, advocate, and perennial pretty woman Morgan Fairchild. And HIV therapeutic specialist Joseph Leahy will receive the Russell Ybarra Community Spirit of Hope Award.
40 Years of Being Alive will conclude in a really wonderful way! The assemblage will be treated to a trio of Broadway’s leading leads—Marissa Jaret Winoker, Kerry Butler, and my fave, Laura Bell Bundy—performing some numbers from their Off-Broadway revue, Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now. It took me a while to research their connection, but I finally got it—together they were stars of the original Broadway musical, Hairspray, in 2002! I never knew that! So I’m happy to impart that info to you! And now the title of their revue—Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now—makes sense to me because that’s one of the most fun ensemble numbers from that show! And, perhaps, because the three of them have grown-up in the past two decades since they first worked together. (I wonder what that would be like.)
Bruce Vilanch.
Speaking of long professional relationships, Bruce Vilanch and I have actually known each other for even longer than that! He’s one of the first show biz folk with whom I had a “dinner meeting” when I started doing my TV show! And I’ve been a fan ever since. (Who isn’t?) He’s still one of the funniest people I know. So I was happy to have a quick convo with him about 40 Years of Being Alive the other day. He sang the praises of this organization to me, and explained a lot about it.
Bruce told me that when Being Alive started four decades ago, they were “hands-on” as one of the original organizations that was simply about “helping people.” And he was happy to share that they are still being run as they were at the beginning, and “not being taken over by professional charity people.” Impressive.
I asked how he got involved with them back then, and he said that his good pal the late singer, (and I add—darling person,) Nell Carter, got him into it by semi-insisting, “Come do this benefit with me.” (You all need to hear him tell it, though.)
Bruce appreciates being honored at 40 Years of Being Alive. He told me it’s a “nice acknowledgement that I’m still here and still active in the cause.” I agree, and can’t wait to see it. Since he and Morgan Fairchild are both receiving the Spirit of Hope Award at this event, I asked what he knows of her involvement, and he told me that she’s just a “good person” who does a lot of charity, and that “she works very hard for all of them.” I love that! (I guess it takes one to know one—Bruce does sooo much good himself!)
He’s excited to see all three musical ladies again, especially Marissa, having starred on Broadway with her in Hairspray, as her mother. That should be a fun reunion for us guests to witness.
Laura Bell Bundy, Marissa Jaret Winoker, and Kerry Butler in Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now.
Other than Bruce, I have fun stories about a few of the other people we’ll all see that day.
My favorite one is about the incredible Laura Bell Bundy, of whom I’m a major fan. So, back in 2018, Laura was starring in a special local run of Sweet Charity, and she was kind enough to be meeting-and-greeting at the post-show reception in the theatre’s courtyard. My friend Noelle and I were so excited to meet her, and we quickly found-out that Laura is just a lovely, normal person. Meanwhile, I had just lost my adorable phone case, (which looked like a little purse,) in the theater, so I was, of course, telling her about it. (Have ya met me?!) She felt terrible for me, and as I wrote in my review of that show, “I’m not exaggerating about this, Laura was as concerned that I had lost my phone case in the theatre that night as I was! And when [a worker] showed-up with it while Laura and I were conversing, she squealed with delight right along with me!” So I loved her even more than I already did.
I semi met Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony for Hairspray, when she directed that same show in December in an LA theatre. She sat right behind me, and we rode down in a private elevator together that night, so we at least acknowledged each other. And I noted that she looks exactly the same as she did back then! (So now I have to meet Kelly Butler at 40 Years of Being Alive to make it a trifecta of talent of whom I’ve made the acquaintance!)
Morgan Fairchild.
My very slight connection to Morgan Fairchild is one I’m proud of—when I was just starting-out my career, I got great headshots because my manager set me up with the most incredible make-up artist ever! My pictures were (surprisingly, to me,) fabulous, and everyone had an opinion of which famous women I looked like in them. And the one I was compared to most often was Morgan Fairchild. We both have blue eyes, and the make-up guy made my nose look much smaller nose than it is, so I could see the resemblance, as well. And, believe me, I was very happy about that comparison. (It was definitely better than the Alice Cooper and Barry Manilow ones I had heard prior to that make-up lesson!)
I’ll be happy to see all of them, and make more memories with them. And all of you can create your own with these performers and kind people by joining us at 40 Years of Being Alive on September 12th. I hope to see you all there!
For more information on Being Alive, and tickets to their anniversary fete on the 12th, click here: givebutter.com/BA40th.
