‘Laverne & Shirley’ Star Cindy Williams To Appear At Penny Marshall Salute In Burbank

It’s been a little more than three weeks since Penny Marshall sadly passed away. A salute to the beloved actress, director, and producer has been announced for late January and a very special guest will attend the event — her former Laverne & Shirley co-star Cindy Williams.

The Laverne & Shirley Marathon: A Salute to Penny Marshall tribute will be held on Sunday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Burbank, California, at the 130-seat Garry Marshall Theatre, which was established in 1997 by Penny’s late older brother, who was a well-known director, producer, and screenwriter.

The 12-hour, free event celebrates Marshall’s work in the groundbreaking television series that ran for eight seasons on ABC from 1976 to 1983. On the show — which was a Happy Days spinoff — Marshall played Laverne DeFazio, a young, single woman in blue-collar Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who lived and worked with her best friend, Shirley Feeney, played by Williams. The two women always seemed to find themselves in the wackiest of situations, and the physical comedy that ensued made viewers laugh out loud. Marshall was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for best actress for her funny performances on the now-classic sitcom.

At the Burbank salute, 71-year-old Williams will appear onstage throughout the day to talk about her on-screen partner and the series that made them both household names. The main program will feature the screening of several of Marshall’s favorite episodes of Laverne & Shirley, including “Fakeout at the Stakeout,” where Laverne goes undercover for the Milwaukee Police Department; “Excuse Me, May I Cut In?” in which Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and Warren “Potsie” Weber (Anson Williams) from Happy Days show up as the girls’ dance partners for a contest; “Guilty Until Proven Not Innocent,” where Laverne winds up in jail after accidentally stealing a $75 scarf; and “Supermarket Sweep” in which Laverne wins a trip to the grocery store to grab as many items as she can in a short period of time.

According to Deadline, other special guests will make appearances at the Laverne & Shirley Marathon: A Salute to Penny Marshall, but they have yet to be announced.

Marshall died at the age of 75 on December 17, 2018, from heart failure, heart disease, and complications from diabetes. Williams released a statement that said Marshall’s death was “an extraordinary loss” because she was “one in a million,” as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

“Utterly unique, a truly great talent. And, oh what fun we had! Can’t describe how I’ll miss her.”