{"id":66563,"date":"2026-08-31T08:27:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T08:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/?p=66563"},"modified":"2026-08-31T08:27:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T08:27:34","slug":"upcoming-40-years-of-being-alive-event-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/upcoming-40-years-of-being-alive-event-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"UPCOMING: \u201c40 YEARS OF BEING ALIVE\u201d EVENT PREVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c40 YEARS OF BEING ALIVE\u201d EVENT PREVIEW<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited to be attending a very worthwhile event, which is sure to be fabulous, on the afternoon of September 12th, and all of you<\/em> can be there, as well! I\u2019m even giving-up going to several Emmys gifting suites for it, so you know it\u2019s going to be good! So let me preview the festivities for you.<\/p>\n

The title of the event is 40 Years of Being Alive<\/em>, and it\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Joseph Leahy.<\/p><\/div>\n

40 Years of Being Alive<\/em> will be held at a venue I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever been to, (which makes it even more interesting)\u2014the Victory Ballroom of the Los Angeles Athletic Club\u00a0in downtown LA. (But no worries there\u2014the VIP tix include complimentary parking!)<\/p>\n

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,\u00a0Bruce Vilanch, and the other to actress, advocate, and perennial pretty woman\u00a0Morgan Fairchild. And HIV therapeutic specialist\u00a0Joseph Leahy\u00a0will receive the Russell Ybarra Community Spirit of Hope Award.<\/p>\n

40 Years of Being Alive<\/em> will conclude in a really wonderful way! The assemblage will be treated to a trio of Broadway\u2019s leading leads\u2014Marissa Jaret Winoker, Kerry Butler, and my fave, Laura Bell Bundy\u2014performing some numbers from their Off-Broadway revue, Mama,<\/em> I\u2019m A Big Girl Now<\/em>. It took me a while to research their connection, but I finally got it\u2014together they were stars of the original Broadway musical, Hairspray<\/em>, in 2002! I never knew that! So I\u2019m happy to impart that info to you<\/em>! And now the title of their revue\u2014Mama, I\u2019m A<\/em> Big Girl Now<\/em>\u2014makes sense to me because that\u2019s 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.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bruce Vilanch.<\/p><\/div>\n

Speaking of long professional relationships, Bruce Vilanch and I have actually known each other for even longer than that! He\u2019s one of the first show biz folk with whom I had a \u201cdinner meeting\u201d when I started doing my TV show! And I\u2019ve been a fan ever since. (Who isn\u2019t?) He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Bruce told me that when Being Alive started four decades ago, they were \u201chands-on\u201d as one of the original organizations that was simply about \u201chelping people.\u201d And he was happy to share that they are still being run as they were at the beginning, and \u201cnot being taken over by professional charity people.\u201d Impressive.<\/p>\n

I asked how he got involved with them back then, and he said that his good pal the late singer, (and I<\/em> add\u2014darling person,) Nell Carter, got him into it by semi-insisting, \u201cCome do this benefit with me.\u201d (You all need to hear him<\/em> tell it, though.)<\/p>\n

Bruce appreciates being honored at 40 Years of Being Alive<\/em>. He told me it\u2019s a \u201cnice acknowledgement that I\u2019m still here and still active in the cause.\u201d I agree, and can\u2019t 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\u2019s just a \u201cgood person\u201d who does a lot<\/em> of charity, and that \u201cshe works very hard for all of them.\u201d I love that! (I guess it takes one to know one\u2014Bruce does sooo much good himself!)<\/p>\n

He\u2019s excited to see all three musical ladies again, especially Marissa, having starred on Broadway with her in Hairspray<\/em>, as her mother<\/em>. That should be a fun reunion for us guests to witness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Laura Bell Bundy, Marissa Jaret Winoker, and Kerry Butler in Mama, I\u2019m A Big Girl Now.<\/p><\/div>\n

Other than Bruce, I have fun stories about a few of the other people we\u2019ll all see that day.<\/p>\n

My favorite one is about the incredible Laura Bell Bundy, of whom I\u2019m a major fan. So, back in 2018, Laura was starring in a special local run of Sweet Charity<\/em>, and she was kind enough to be meeting-and-greeting at the post-show reception in the theatre\u2019s 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<\/em> me?!) She felt terrible for me, and as I wrote in my review of that show, \u201cI\u2019m not exaggerating about this, Laura was as concerned that I had lost my phone case in the theatre that night as I<\/em> was! And when [a worker] showed-up with it while Laura and I were conversing, she<\/em> squealed with delight right along with me!\u201d So I loved her even more than I already did.<\/p>\n

I semi<\/em> met Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony for Hairspray<\/em>, when she directed\u00a0that same show in December\u00a0in 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<\/em> to make it a trifecta<\/em> of talent of whom I\u2019ve made the acquaintance!)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Morgan Fairchild.<\/p><\/div>\n

My very slight<\/em> connection to Morgan Fairchild is one I\u2019m proud of\u2014when 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!)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be happy to see all of them, and make more memories with them. And all of you<\/em> can create your own with these performers and kind people by joining us at 40 Years of Being<\/em> Alive<\/em> on September 12th. I hope to see you all there!<\/p>\n

For more information on Being Alive, and tickets to their anniversary fete on the 12th, click here: givebutter.com\/BA40th<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c40 YEARS OF BEING ALIVE\u201d EVENT PREVIEW I\u2019m 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\u2019m even giving-up going to several Emmys gifting suites for it, so you know it\u2019s going to be<\/p>\n

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