Initial casting has been announced for the Actors' Fund of America's September 20 benefit performance of Hair. Kathy Brier, Gavin Creel, Darius de Haas, Harvey Fierstein, Hunter Foster, Ann Harada, Norm Lewis, Idina Menzel, Julia Murney, Adam Pascal, Billy Porter, RuPaul, Jai Rodriguez, John Tartaglia and Lillias White will all be featured in the concert.
Brier, a regular on One Life to Live, starred in Hairspray on Broadway. Creel earned a Tony nomination for his work in Thoroughly Modern Millie and appeared in the Encores! mounting of Hair. De Haas has appeared on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Carousel, Rent, The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm and Marie Christine. Fierstein is the recipient of Tony Awards for Best Play Torch Song Trilogy, Best Actor Torch Song Trilogy and Hairspray and Best Book of a Musical La Cage aux Folles. Foster, a Tony nominee for Little Shop of Horrors, is now appearing on Broadway in The Producers. Harada is currently starring in Avenue Q. Lewis' Broadway credits include Miss Saigon, Chicago, Side Show, The Wild Party and Amour. Menzel is a 2004 Tony winner for her starring performance in Wicked which she will remain in until January and appeared in the Encores! mounting of Hair. Murney is best known for her performance in off-Broadway's The Wild Party. Pascal, a Tony nominee for his work in Rent, recently returned to the cast of Aida. Porter has appeared on the Great White Way in Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Mo, Grease and Smokey Joe's Café. RuPaul first rose to prominence in the mid-1990s with the song “Supermodel You Better Work” and eventually became a media star, even hosting her own television show, The RuPaul Show, for VH1. Recently featured in Rent, Rodriguez is best known for being the "Culture Vulture" on Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. Tartaglia was a 2004 Tony Award nominee for his work in Avenue Q. White won a Tony Award for her performance in The Life.
Hair is the fourth annual benefit concert to be presented by The Actor's Fund of America. Other offerings from the organization were a 20th Anniversary concert of Dreamgirls in 2001, a starry Funny Girl concert in 2002 and last year's well-received Chess staging. This Hair will share a similarity to the Actors' Fund's Funny Girl in the sense that multiple actors will be featured in a singular role. Seth Rudetsky will once again serve as artistic producer and musical director for the popular event.
Proceeds from Hair benefit The Actor's Fund, which is the only national nonprofit organization that provides for the social welfare of all entertainment professionals. Programs include nursing home and assisted living care facilities, senior and disabled programs, mental health services, chemical dependency services, services to employable professionals, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, AIDS Initiative and supportive housing.
Hair will take place on Monday September 20 at 7:30pm at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Visit the Actors' Fund website or call 212-221-7300 for tickets to the event, which range in price from $75 to $2,500.
In addition to one-night-only benefits, many other events are done throughout the year to benefit the Actors' Fund. For instance, every year there is the Auction of 1000 Stars, an auction featuring amazing celebrity experiences and priceless memorabilia. The auction is going on now through August 25. For more information or to bid on items, click here.