Concert to Honor Newlywed Gay Playwright Killed in NYC Fire

Always for Daniel, a celebration of late playwright Daniel James McClung's life, will be presented June 2 at New York City performance venue 54 Below.

McClung, 27, died while trying to escape his midtown Manhattan high-rise apartment building when it caught fire January 5. McClung married last summer; his husband, Michael Cohen, suffered smoke inhalation but survived the blaze.

McClung's friend Michael Zahler created Always for Daniel, which will feature the reimagined music of Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald.

Led by music director Will Van Dyke, scheduled performers include Zahler, Broadway Impact cofounder Rory O'Malley, Julia Murney, Jenni Barber, Chelsea Packard, Jason Michael Snow, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Alysha Umphress, Joelle Lurie, and the Skivvies.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Muhlenberg College Theatre and Dance, where a scholarship will be established in McClung's name.

For tickets and more information, visit 54Below.com.