Odds & Ends: Max von Essen Set for Actors Fund Holiday Benefit Sparkle & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed today.

Max von Essen Set for Actors Fund Holiday Benefit Sparkle
The Actors Fund has secured a talented group of stage stars to appear in its 7th annual winter benefit Sparkle: An All-Star Holiday Concert, taking place at The Cutting Room on December 2 at 7:30pm. The one-night extravaganza, produced and hosted by TV personality Scott Nevins (The People's Couch), will feature a starry slate of performers from stage and screen. The lineup will include Tony nominee Max von Essen (Anastasia), Tony winner Daisy Eagan (The Secret Garden), Tony nominee Sharon McNight (Starmites), Erich Bergen (Waitress), Chris Weaver (The Voice), Christina Bianco (Forbidden Broadway), Nick Adams (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Matt Doyle (The Heart of Rock & Roll), Kevin Smith Kirkwood (Kinky Boots), Marty Thomas (Xanadu), Erin Quill (Avenue Q), The Skivvies, recording artist Shayna Steele and more. Brian Nash will serve as the evening's music director and arranger.

William Craver, Literary Agent of Jonathan Larson & David Auburn, Dies at Age 87
William Craver, a beloved general manager and company manager who excelled as a longtime theatrical literary agent, died at the age of 87 on November 8 in Austin, TX. Craver spent 40 of his 58 years in New York City as an agent representing playwrights, composers, lyricists and directors. Three of his clients won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama: Jonathan Larson for Rent, David Auburn for Proof and Robert Schenkkan for The Kentucky Cycle. Craver's Broadway credits as a general manager and company manager include a variety of plays by the late Neil Simon, including Barefoot in the Park (1963), The Odd Couple (1965), The Star-Spangled Girl (1966) and Plaza Suite (1968), along with Herman Raucher's Harold (1962), Terence Frisby's There's a Girl in My Soup (1967) and John Patrick's Love Is a Time of Day (1969). In addition to his work as a prolific agent, Craver also co-owned and was a partner in Writers and Artists Agency until Paradigm acquired the firm in 2004. Craver served on the boards of The American Theatre Wing, the Dramatists Play Service and The Jonathan Larson Foundation.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Olivier-Nominated Fleabag to Make Off-Broadway Premiere
Following a sold-out run in London, Fleabag, the Olivier-nominated solo play written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, will cross the pond to the U.S. for a 2019 run at off-Broadway's SoHo Playhouse. Vicky Jones will direct the production, slated to begin previews on February 28 with an opening set for March 7. The play that inspired the hit Amazon Prime series, Fleabag is a comedic look at a woman who may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed. The production will feature scenic design by Holly Pigott, lighting design by Elliot Griggs and sound design by Isobel Waller-Bridge. Fleabag is slated to play a limited off-Broadway engagement through April 7.

Lee Sunday Evans Named New Artistic Director of Waterwell
Following an extensive national search, acclaimed nonprofit theater company Waterwell has announced Obie winner Lee Sunday Evans as its new artistic director. "Lee Sunday Evans has a strong commitment to civic engagement in all her work, as a director, educator and leader," said Tony nominee Arian Moayed, Waterwell's co-founder and board chair. "Waterwell works with artists and educators to create socially conscious and civic-minded entertainment. Lee is exactly the visionary artist to help us do more of that work, and it is inspiring to have her take the helm as artistic director." Evans' off-Broadway directing credits include acclaimed productions of Dance Nation, [PORTO], Bull in a China Shop and the Obie-winning A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes. Evans also served as assistant director on the 2014 Broadway revival of The Real Thing.