Actor uses stage musical as Sept. 11 fund-raiser

Friday December 13, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor Michael Nouri and fellow ``South Pacific'' cast members collected more than applause during a recently ended national tour of the musical.

Asking audiences to donate money for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, the cast took in more than $360,000, according to Mike Casey, a spokesman for Nouri (``Finding Forrester,'' the upcoming ``Stuey'').

``This money we collected has a spirit all its own,'' Nouri said Friday. ``For me, personally, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.''

The donations were split between the Twin Towers Fund and the Pentagon Victims' Relief Fund, with Nouri presenting checks to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Pentagon official Dov Zakheim, Casey said.

Nouri was joined by fellow cast members in collecting donations in theater lobbies after performances in 19 theaters.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)