“STARS IN THE HOUSE” “MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG” REUNION WITH
JIM WALTON, LONNY PRICE, ANN MORRISSON, AND JASON ALEXANDER
Playing tonight Thursday, September 9 at 8pmET live, hosts Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley present a special reunion episode of “Stars In The House” featuring the original cast of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Merrily We Roll Along” to benefit The Actors Fund.
Seth and James will be joined by Jim Walton, Lonny Price, Ann Morrison, and Jason Alexander to reminisce and raise money for The Actors Fund, which already includes a $2,500 matching donation from The Angie Torres Charitable Trust.
The episode will livestream on the Stars In The House YouTube channel, and StarsInTheHouse.com, and fans will be able to ask questions live, and make donations. The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1981 and is based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, follows the story of three friends over a 20-year period as their lives and friendships change set against the backdrop of the entertainment world.
Since the show debuted on Broadway, there have been multiple notable runs with acclaimed casts, including a London premiere in 2000 that won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
As the creators and executive producers of “Stars In The House,” Seth and James bring a masterful combination of music, storytelling and community to each episode, ensuring that the show goes on in viewers’ homes even while performance venues across the world are closed.
“Stars In The House” airs new episodes Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8PM ET on its YouTube channel and starsinthehouse.com. (Once aired, the episodes will be remain available for viewing and donating.) For more information and to see upcoming guests, please visit starsinthehouse.com and follow @StarsInTheHouse, Seth (@SethRudetsky) and James (@JamesWesleyNYC) on Twitter and Instagram.
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ABOUT STARS IN THE HOUSE
“Stars in the House,” which officially kicked off on March 16th, is a daily series that features stars of stage and screen singing or performing plays live (from home!) to promote support for charitable services for those most vulnerable to the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Joining Seth and James for the shows is Dr. Jon LaPook, chief medical correspondent for CBS News. Visit starsinthehouse.com to donate to The Actors Fund, watch previous episodes, learn about upcoming guests and more.
Since the first show, “Stars In The House” has raised more than $974,800 to benefit The Actors Fund, and over $203,337 for other charities including the NAACP LDF, Trevor Project, Humane Society of New York, and more – and continues to do so thanks to a generous donation from the Berlanti Family Foundation. Seth and James also received a special Drama Desk Award and a Gotham Icon Award from the Museum of the City of New York for keeping the theatre community connected, informed, and uplifted during the pandemic.
ABOUT THE ACTORS FUND
The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services.
Since March 2020, The Actors Fund has distributed more than $21.6 million to more than 16,300 people in need in the performing arts & entertainment community – thanks to support from so many generous people, including everyone in the Stars In The House family! This has helped people in financial crisis pay for basic living expenses such as essential medications, rent, food, utilities and other needs.
For the health and safety of everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Actors Fund has transitioned to online and phone-based services, which remain available for everyone in the performing arts and entertainment community. These services include: Artists Health Insurance Resource Center, The Career Center, Housing Resources, Addiction & Recovery, HIV/AIDS and Senior Services, Counseling and Emergency Financial Assistance, as well as The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. To make a tax-deductible donation to The Actors Fund, visit actorsfund.org/donate.
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I saw the original MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at least three times in NYC and the score instantly became one of my fave Sondheim creations. However, you could tell the show was in trouble as every time I attended, A different character was assigned “Not A Day Goes By”. I’ve since seen the many attempts at “fixing” the show — and so far, none of the revivals has been as endearing, energetic and exciting as the original cast. Opening with the graduates singing “The Hills of Tomorrow” is still the best opening of all.