The weather couldn’t have been worse but the event was terrific. And the turnout wasn’t bad considering the thunder and lightening storm that erupted just in time for the show.

Charlotte Maier’s performance as Marilyn Monroe was funny, sad and utterly compelling.  She did three short monologues, excerpts from an interview Marilyn Monroe did a few months before she died.

Albert Mobilio read a brilliant essay called "Scratching Tom Ewell’s Itch" abut the male character in "The Seven Year Itch." That was followed by Lisa Shea’s lyrical and touching piece about Marilyn Monroe’s singing voice.

Michele Madigan Somerville read a poem, written for the occasion, about a turtle she had as a child named Marilyn, that ended in a virtuosic outburst of passionate language.

Melissa Pierson and Yona Zeldis McDonough were equally wonderful. And the evening ended with a frothy white frosted birthday cake accompanied by Marilyn on CD singing, "Happy Birthday Mr. President."

A great, great evening.

(Wrote this quickly early Friday morning before going on a trip. The spelling errors have all been fixed.)