Stars including rocker Pete Townsend, Chita Rivera, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Melissa Rivers, and more are coming together to try and save the venerable theater haunt, West Bank Café.
There will be a star-studded virtual telethon streaming for free beginning Dec. 25 for the spot, which has been on the verge of closing for good because of the pandemic.
Al Pacino said of the restaurant in an exclusive (and poetic) statement to Page Six: “The West Bank Café has always meant a great deal to me. It’s right there in the middle of everything on 42nd and 9th and open to everyone. It’s very comforting to know that it’s there.”
The Oscar winner added: “The food is always fresh and good, the atmosphere warm and, believe it or not, every night downstairs different acts and mini-plays are performed. To lose a place like that would be a loss for our great city that we would feel. To me, it’s a landmark… part of the very few that gives our city identity — low-key, yet New York.
“The ambiance of it is just right with those windows open to 42nd. There were nights we would sit in there watching the snow falling outside. There are places that have vibes, the West Bank has a vibe, and the vibe is simple and alive. I hope it hangs in there.”
The fundraiser aims to pay off the place’s 2020 debt incurred from the pandemic, and pay West Bank’s rent for 2021 “to give them time to get back on their feet.”
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