Linda Lavin headlines pulmonary fibrosis benefit

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Award winners Linda Lavin and Debbie Gravitte are headlining the third annual concert to benefit the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

The event set for Feb. 25 at Birdland Jazz Club will also feature actress Emily Bergl from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and singer Max von Essen, from "Evita."

All proceeds will benefit the foundation's The Michael Kuchwara Fund for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Research, Education and Advocacy. Kuchwara was The Associated Press' longtime theater critic who died in 2010 from complications due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

In its first two tribute concerts, over $90,000 was raised and there were surprise appearances by Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that causes scarring and affects between 132,000-200,000 people in the United States.

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Online: http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/broadwaybelts