Newsday (Nassau Edition) from Hempstead, New York • 149

throwing a party for Town Mall Lehmann will appear harsh financial realities than with Town illustrious past The Hall which became the property of New York University in 1958 fell on lean days last year when NYU announced that it eould no longer subsidize Town programing Town Hall might have closed a year ago except that its trustees were able -to raise $200000 including a $100000 grant from the Shu-bert Foundation whose officers aM they consider Town Hall vital to the well-being of the Times Square area Jesse Reese who manages the Hall noted the other day that Sunday's fund-raising event could not possibly raise the $300000 heeded for the -1976-77 season "We also look at it as a way of getting people concerned about Town Hall he said "and well take the opportunity to tell people about our plans for future funding and programing" For the gala the concert 1600 seats are scaled from $10 to $150 The highest-priced tickets include a post-performance supper at Act One with the artists It should be noted that at Town Hall even the cheap seats are good ones The League-for Political Education as the suffragettes who built the place called themselves insist ed that their auditorium be de- sighed according to "democratic so that speakers could be seen well and heard well from every seat The auditorium's acoustics and sightlines have been praised by artists and critics As of early this week tickets were still available in every price range Information about them is available at Town Hall or by telephoning (212) 879-4890 The inspiration for the gala came from its producer Donald Smith who approached the board with the idea some months ago "I happened to be passing by one he said "and I thought a great crime it would be if Town Hall weren't there' People tend to forget about -Town Hall since Lincoln Center came along and since the Broadway area became a less attractive part of town Sunday will be a good By Jerry Parker "Whenever I started a recital at -Town Hall I did so with a trembling heart" the late soprano Lotte Lehmann recalled I was able to forget about myself about the audience the pianist I and the 'concert hall became one it waa as if the hall would take me in its aims like a loving mother I remember that with sincere emotion The great Lehmann penned that tribute to a favorite concert hall last August only days before she died at the age of 88 It will be read from the stage Sunday at what promises to be one of the biggest nights of Town 65-year histo-ry In that time the versatile cultural institution at 123 43rd St has been a mother" to hundreds of artists Sunday many of them will appear on stage to celebrate Town distinguished past and by raising an anticipated $75000 to help ensure its future Marian Anderson who made her concert debut at Town Han in 1924 is honorary chairman of the "Town Hall gala committee Though the is not expected to sing those who will make music include Lida Albanese Eleanor Steber Mignon Dunn Constance Keene (the pianist who -made her Town Han debut in 1943) Erik Friedman (the violinist who made his Town Han debut in 1954 at the age of 14) Jorge Bolet and Renata Scotto The second half of the program win be devoted to Town Hall's tradition of popular music and its well-attended Wednesday afternoon Interlude series The performers include a triumvirate of durable cabaret stars Hildegarde Greta Keller and Mabel Mercer Eubie Blake the 93-year-old ragtime virtuoso Nancy Dussault and Karen Morrow Anita Ellis and Mary Lou Williams A 65th anniversary is an odd one to get supersentimental about and the celebrators are several months late in any event: Town Hall the outgrowth of a group of tum-of-the-century suffragettes' yearnings to educate the public opened Jan 12 1921 Actually 7:80 PM celebration has more to do with today's below left who in the gala rating list Town Hall have included wrote a tribute and Hildegarde TV9s all-time Lotte who Gone With the Wind9 tops The most widely viewed movies on televirion were previously: "Ben with 85820000 viewers "Helter with 84890000 view- ers with 83950000 viewers "Air- with 79830000 viewers and "Love with 72 million The five top-rated shows and their ratings were: The Boo Hope Christmas of 1970 (466) the final episode of David The (459) "The Bob Hope Christmas of 1971 (450) The Ed Sullivan of Feb 9 1964 (416) and "Super Bowl oii Jan 16 1972 the top-rated program of any Mnd in TV history the top-rated movie and the most widely viewed movie of all tine all based on its telecast on a single network Coverage of the aftermath of John assassination and first landing on the moon had a greater combined viewership- through broadcast on all three networks The top-rated movies on television were: and "Love Story" (tied with a 428 ing) (394) "The Poseidon (390) and True and "The (tied at 889) Each steps down a notch to make room at the top for With the Py Carol Burton Terry The No 1 television show titles held by and Bob Hope are gone with With the Wind" The 1939 movie based on Margaret classic set around the Civil War has become the top-rated television program of all time Its two-part telecast by NBC on Sunday and Monday registered an unprecedented 475 on the Nielsen scale according to figures released yesterday by the national rating service Viewer-ship was estimated at 110 million Those figures make "Gone With the.