Courtesy of Ariel Ramerez WENN

ALL MY CHILDREN – one of TV’s longest-running daytime dramas – celebrated its 35th anniversary in high style with a live, sold-out benefit concert on February 7th at New York’s legendary Town Hall produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Courtesy of Ariel Ramerez WENN

This special benefit evening, starring Susan Lucci and 26 members of the current “All My Children” cast, was directed by John Dietrich with musical direction by Shawn Gough, who also conducted the evening’s musical proceedings.

More than 1,500 loyal, enthusiastic fans cheered loudly throughout the show, giving the cast a much-deserved standing ovation at the end. The cast and crew definitely delivered the goods with more than two hours of musical numbers ranging in mood from rousing to comic to deeply moving.

After an overture consisting of variations of the “All My Children” theme song over the last 35 years, created by Terry Walker and Tom Spahn, the entire cast performed a clever opening number, “I Hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line, with guest performer Seth Rudetsky adding special lyrics to Edward Kleban and Marvin Hamlisch’s original song.

Courtesy of Ariel Ramerez WENN

Courtesy of Ariel Ramerez WENN

Since its creation in 1970, “All My Children” has distinguished itself in the field of daytime drama, garnering more than 30 Emmy Awards and taking daytime television’s lead in addressing issues such as AIDS, safe sex, and homosexuality, as well as abortion, teenage alcoholism, racial bias, and other topics previously considered taboo. Recently, AMC broke new ground by airing daytime’s first same-sex kiss between two of the shows female characters, Bianca and Lena. This year, the show received both the GLAAD media award and that organization’s first “Out Image Award” for the character of Bianca Montgomery.

“All My Children” revolves around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley, a town which closely resembles the affluent suburban communities of the Philadelphia Main Line. This popular show’s cast still includes two of its original cast members: Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) and Ray McDonnell (Dr. Joe Martin). The evening was dedicated to legendary actress Ruth Warrick who played AMC’s Phoebe Tyler Wallingford from the show’s inception until her death this year.

BC/EFA is grateful to The Walt Disney Company and Brian Frons, president of ABC Daytime for their sponsorship and support, and thanks Julie Hanan Carruthers, executive producer at “All My Children” for allowing BC/EFA to share in this landmark anniversary. We are especially grateful to “All My Children” publicist Michael Cohen and assistant producer Enza Dolce – with heartfelt thanks to the enthusiastic and delightful “All My Children” cast.

“All My Children” is produced in New York and airs Monday-Friday (1:00-2:00 p.m., ET) on ABC Television Network

.