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JOHN LITHGOW JOINS BROADWAY GALLERY WALL OF FAME
by Ellis Nassour



    2005 Tony Award nominee John Lithgow, in a downright jovial mood and sipping apple martinis, joined the ranks last night [June 29th ] of Broadway's famous on the Wall of Fame at Theatre District favorite Tony's Di Napoli Restaurant on West 43rd Street.

    ....................................................................Wall of Fame honoree John Lithgow:

    Tony's Special Events Coordinator Dale Badway of Badway On Broadway Productions [co-creator and producer of the Wall of Fame] first approached Lithgow about having his portrait added to the gallery shortly after the March 3rd opening of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Lithgow said he was flattered to join such an illustrious group.

    The portrait of Broadway legend Chita Rivera launched the now famous Wall. Portraits of Antonio Banderas, then starring in Nine, Broadway sweetheart Bernadette Peters, Hugh Jackman, Jerry Herman, Alfred Molina, Robert Goulet, Jerry Herman, Brooke Shields and Whoopi Goldberg were later additions.

    The innovative, art nouveau oil paintings are done in Florida by graphic artist Daniel May, a former bartender at Tony's.

    Lithgow was joined by Scoundrels cast members Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, Gregory Jbara, Sara Gettelfinger, the show's Tony-winning orchestrator Doug Besterman [The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Fosse] and members of the backstage crew.

    Lithgow with cast members Sherie Rene Scott,
    Sara Gettelfinger and Norbet Leo Butz:
    Since his Tony-winning 1973 debut in The Changing Room, Lithgow has appeared in 18 Broadway shows. He was last on Broadway in The Retreat From Moscow, The Play What I Wrote and the musical Sweet Smell of Success, for which he was Tony-nominated, and Off Broadway in Mrs. Farnsworth.



    ............................................Earlier Wall honoree, Hugh Jackman:

    Other notable Broadway appearances include Comedians, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Front Page and M. Butterfly, for which he won his second Tony. He's done over 30 films, including Oscar-nominated roles in The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment. His voiceover appearance in the 2001 smash Shrek, as Lord Farquaad, was parodied in the May portrait.


    Lithgow will forever be known to the masses for his Emmy Award-wining [four of them!] role in NBC's 3rd Rock From the Sun.

    Badway announced that upcoming additions to the Tony's Wall of Fame will be Jeff Goldblum of The Pillowman, in August, and Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce, co-stars of Spamalot, in September.

    [Photos : LINDA LENZI/BroadwayWorld.com]

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    Friday, July 01, 2005 at 7:30 AM | Item Link



    Ellis Nassour is an international media journalist, and author of Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline, which he has adapted into a musical for the stage. Visit www.patsyclinehta.com.

    He can be reached at [email protected]



    The last five columns written by Ellis Nassour:

    07/02/2010: Summer in the City: Fireworks on the Hudson Launch a Season with Plenty to Do and See

    06/13/2010: The 64th Annual Tony Awards Celebrating Broadway Achievement

    06/10/2010: Tony Honoree Marian Seldes: Grand Duse of the American Theater

    06/08/2010: Starry, Starry Nights [Hopefully] with the Bard; Broadway by the Year Celebrates 10th Anniversary; Old Flames Reignite [Onstage]; Summer in and Out of the City; Stars Rally for Dancers; Cast CDs and Re-releases; New to DVD

    05/21/2010: Patti LuPone Hosts Sunday's Drama Desk Awards; A Starry, Starry Season; Tovah Feldshuh, Sherman Brothers Honored; Broadway By the Year Season Finale

    For a listing of all features written by Ellis, click here.

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