The Club Welcomes Lorraine Bracco

A husky-voiced New York native who enjoyed an early career as a popular model, Lorraine Bracco went on to build an enviable resume as an actress in film and television. Bracco made her U.S. debut in Ridley Scott's modern noir, Someone to Watch Over Me. A few years later, she received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her performance in Martin Scorsese's iconic mob drama, Goodfellas. She went on to play the despairing mother of troubled teen (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the gritty biopic The Basketball Diaries, prior to taking on the most indelible role of her career, that of psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the groundbreaking crime family drama The Sopranos.

The mid and late nineties were a period of great personal upheaval for Bracco, who had filed for bankruptcy and was working with a therapist herself in 1999 when she was approached by David Chase for a role in his new HBO Mafia drama series The Sopranos. Chase initially had Bracco in mind for the role of Tony Soprano's wife Carmela, but Bracco was instantly attracted to the character of psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi, an educated, Italian-American woman the likes of which had not been seen on television before. Melfi's character evolved significantly over six seasons; in addition to her crucial role as the sole confidante of a high-ranking mob associate, she faced her own moral dilemmas, alcoholism, violent crime, and emotional counseling. For her impressive, stabilizing work, Bracco was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2007); as well as Best Actress Golden Globe Awards (2000, 2001 and 2002). Her work as Dr. Melfi was also recognized with an award from the American Psycho-Analytical Association.

Even though Lorraine Bracco is one of the world's most dynamic actresses, when she reached her fifties, she felt she was losing her luster. During the long illnesses of her parents, she began to gain weight and felt her energy and self-confidence take a dive. Watching her parents die within 9 days of each other was her wake-up call to take charge of her life. She made a commitment to herself to stay healthy.

6:30pm cocktail reception, 7:00pm lecture. $29 per person, includes a copy of Bracco's upcoming book, To the Fullest.  Advance reservations required by Wednesday, April 1^st, at which time they are considered final sale.