Kathleen and Rob Marshall Recall Their Proudest Moments Ahead of New York Pops Event

A constellation of Broadway stars will head to Carnegie Hall tonight, May 4, to honor powerhouse brother-sister Broadway director/choreographers Rob Marshall and Kathleen Marshall. The evening also serves as the 32nd-birthday gala of the New York Pops, conducted by Steven Reineke.

The event is expected to feature such A-listers as Tony winners Alan Cumming (directed by Rob in Cabaret), Sutton Foster and Bebe Neuwirth (who appeared as Lola in the revival of Damn Yankees, choreographed by Rob), Grammy winner Queen Latifah (directed by Rob in the film version of Chicago), current King and I star Kelli O'Hara (directed by Kathleen in Nice Work If You Can Get It), and Rachel York (directed by Kathleen in the tour of Anything Goes), among other performers.

For Kathleen, a six-time Tony nominee and three-time winner, to choose the production she's most proud of is "a bit like Sophie's Choice, because you love all your productions." However, her choice would have to be Wonderful Town, which originated at New York City Center Encores! before moving to the Great White Way. It was "my first Broadway show as a director and choreographer," she notes. Not only that, it was her first Tony win, followed up with trophies for The Pajama Game and Anything Goes.

Rob's films have won nine Academy Awards out of 23 nominations. He is the director of the recent film adaptation of Into the Woods, as well as the big-screen versions of Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. Onstage, he received six Tony nominations for his work on productions of Little Me, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, and Cabaret. For him, it is Chicago he is most proud of. "It was my first [movie] — and I was surprised by everything that followed."

What makes them feel most gratified? "I guess anytime I see my parents' faces after they've seen something I've done," Rob notes. For Kathleen, it occurs "every first day of a rehearsal for a new project." She walks into the rehearsal room and is "overwhelmed by the sheer number of incredibly talented people who join together to create every show."

With that in mind, it's not hard to imagine how overwhelming this concert has the potential to be, both for its honorees and its audience, who will be treated to a tribute of epic proportions.