GEORGE CHRISTY
bass-baritone
is a strong
C o u n t
Almaviva.
Ryan
appeared
as
Stanley Kowalski opposite
Renée Fleming’s Blanche
DuBois in LA
Opera’s 2014
production of
A
Streetcar
N a m e d
Desire.
George Christy
T
h e
impeccable
James Conlon
conducted
this
comic
treasure, Ian
Judge directed, and Mozart enthusiasts Carol and
Maria Shriver
Lea
Joey McIntyre with wife Jack McGee and Tyler
Thompson
Barrett
Williams
and
son
Ritter
W a r n e r
The late playwright/direcRhys McIntyre
Henry undertor Abe Burrows with
daughter Laurie
wrote these
year, the thrill of
Robert Morse
being there becomes
hristopher
Koelsch Figaro productions.
more exciting.
joined the guests at the supper
eptember will bring
party in the elegant Founders
oey McIntyre Room of the Dorothy Chandler Placido Domingo singing the
(New Kids on the Pavilion. They gathered with title role in Woody Allen’s stagBlock) received the the cast members last Saturday ing of Puccini’s farcical Gianni
Caregiver of the after the premiere of the com- Schicchi, and then conducting
Year Award for shar- pletion of Mozart’s classic tril- Franco Zeffirelli’s grandiose
ing his experience ogy, The Marriage Of Figaro, at production of Leoncavallo’s
with his mother’s the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Pagliacci.
fight against Alz- The audience was enthralled.
Sardi’s is the veneraOnline at
heimers.
ble New York theatre
everal
operaphiles www.bhcourier.com/category/george-christy
hangout
Jenifer Lewis
aving lost vowed to the cast that they
fundraiser, A Night at
her diplomat dad, were anxious to see Figaro
Sardi’s, for Alzheimer’s
Sargent Shriver, to again. “Once is not enough,”
research, and – bravo! bravo! - Alzheimer’s, Maria Shriver, beamed Sam Sandhu, over- raised $26 million over 24 chaired the evening. With her whelmed with the flawless
years.
flair and grace, she honored Italian of soprano Guanqun
the movie, Still Alice, that Yu, who was born in
aurie and Peter have awarded Julianne Moore her Shandong, China, studying
now established A Night at first Oscar for Best Actress as there, and training later in
Sardi’s as one of the most fun, an Alzheimer’s patient.
Italy. She is glorious as the
not-to-be-missed, annual parCountess Almaviva, as is
ties on the town. Welcoming
aria was inspired to soprano Pretty Yende of South
friends such as Shelley compose a poem, Still Here, Africa, singing the enchanting
Fabares, whose mother suc- which she read to the raptured Susanna. Robert Tagliavini,
cumbed
to
Alzheimer’s. crowd. Her staff is entering it the bass-baritone from Parma,
Shelley always hosts a table, in a national poetry contest.
Italy, debuted as a grand
as she did this time around
Figaro, and native Ryan
with SAG president Ken
ur crystal ball foresees McKinny, the Los Angeleno
Howard, Mike Farrell with Maria winning top prize.
Felice Shulman, Bill Jerace
and Roja Perfumes’ Craig
n truth, The Marriage
Newman.
Of Figaro’s one of the greatest
operas,” assessed Christopher
arty folks arrive to Koelsch, the LA Opera presiapplaud singing greats raising dent and CEO. Our opera
the roof with their gifted voic- company has leaped hurdles
es at The Beverly Hilton. since the ‘60s when Bernie
Music, music, music through Greenberg and his UCLA law
the night. You don’t want to classmates founded this now
miss these Broadway and internationally acclaimed,
Tinsel Town glamorati belting cultural endeavor in our City
legendary show tunes. Each of the Angels.
Burrows Family Archives
Jason Alexander
ABImages/Alex Berliner
C
S
J
S
ardi’s. The New York
theater district’s hangout.
West 44th Street.
O
pening nighters shaking hands with the mustachioed proprietor Vincent
Sardi Jr.
Regulars, tourists
and looky-loos here and
there.
Meeting, greeting,
autograph-seeking. Among
our early years in Manhattan,
when Abe Burrows’ long-running hits lit up Broadway.
How To Succeed In Business
Without Really Trying starring
Robert Morse … Cactus
Flower with Lauren Bacall.
A
Tony Award and
Pulitzer Prize-winner, Abe
lived a Mr. Showbiz life. A
brilliant play doctor as well.
All the while a family man.
Son James Burrows, creator
of The Mary Tyler Moore
Show, Cheers, etc. Daughter
Laurie Burrows, major cookbook author and TV cooking
star. Wed to television executive Peter Grad. This closely-knit family lost Abe to
Alzheimer’s.
H
S
L
M
O
“I
P
Steve Cohn
Laurie Burrows Grad and
Peter Grad attended The
24th annual A Night at
Sardi’s to benefit the
Alzheimer's Association at
The Beverly Hilton.
D etermined
to give
back and fight in the only
way they knew, Laurie and
Peter created the inspired
Page 6 | March 27, 2015
Director Ian Judge with LA
Opera president/CEO
Christopher Koelsch
The Mozart opera’s underwriters
Warner and Carol Henry
Soprano So
Young Park
Bass-baritone Ryan
McKinny with soprano
Guianqun Yu
Roberto Tagliavini of Parma
Italy makes his LA Opera
debut in The Marriage Of
Figaro with co-star Pretty
Yende of South Africa
BEVERLY HILLS