Bebe Neuwirth Headlines McCarter Theatre's Gala Tonight, 5/5

Princeton's own Bebe Neuwirth headlines McCarter Theatre Center's Annual Gala Benefit tonight, May 5, 2012.

Over the course of her distinguished career, Bebe Neuwirth has achieved extraordinary success in theater, television and film. In 1980, she made her Broadway debut in A Chorus Line. She then appeared in Little Me, Dancin' and Sweet Charity, for which she won her first Tony Award, followed by Damn Yankees and Fosse. Bebe won her second Tony, as well as the Drama Desk, Astaire, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Distinguished Performance of the Year Awards for her portrayal of Velma in Chicago. A few years later, she played Roxie in the show, making her the only triple-threat to have played both parts on Broadway. Her broad diversity of roles in regional theater and off-Broadway have ranged from Anita in West Side Story at the Cleveland Opera to Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and a Richard Greenberg play at Lincoln Center to a Woody Allen play directed by Mr. Allen at the Atlantic Theatre Company. Several years ago, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Here Lies Jenny, a music theater piece comprised entirely of music by Kurt Weill at the Zipper Theatre. It was directed by Roger Rees and choreographed by Ann Reinking. Most recently, Bebe starred as Morticia opposite Nathan Lane in the Broadway musical The Addams Family.

Ms. Neuwirth is well known for her work in film and TV. She won two Emmys for her role of Lilith on Cheers, and was nominated for Emmys for her work on Frasier and for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in the TV movie Dash and Lilly. She has appeared in numerous films, including Say Anything, Green Card, Bugsy, Jumanji, Summer of Sam, Liberty Heights, Celebrity, and Tadpole.

Ms. Neuwirth is the recipient of the CTFD Rolex Dance Award, the 2007 Dance Magazine Award, and is an Honorary Ziegfeld Girl. She is a vice-chair of The Actors Fund, for whom she founded a program called The Dancers' Resource-a program aimed at relieving the particular emotional and physical challenges faced by dancers.

To purchase tickets, visit  www.mccarter.org; call (609) 258-2787; or in person at the McCarter Theatre Ticket Office at 91 University Place in Princeton.