College reunion excitement met red carpet glamour in the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, where the Tisch School held its Tisch On Stage Gala. Elaine Stritch, wearing a tux top and black tights, exposing top-to-bottom legs, took the stage to roars of laughter as she began the night in honor of Alec Baldwin, Maurice Kanbar, Iris Cantor, and Zelda Fichandler. “I’m not fond of NBC at all,” joked Broadway legend Stritch. Baldwin reminded her, “NBC is paying for this, Elaine.” “Who cares?” she returned. Strich has a recurring role on the NBC show 30 Rock, where she has come to adore Baldwin.

A dinner followed the stage performances in the Allen Room where the glitterati included Tina Fey, Tony Bennett, the Coen brothers, Rainn Wilson, Mariska Hargitay, and chairs Patrice Auld, Rosemarie DiLorenzo, and Lorne Michaels. When we caught up with Stritch later on, The Sheet brought a smile to her face, noting that “they should have known when they asked you to be a presenter that, like a box of chocolates, they never know what they’re gonna get.”