Neeson raises $400K for Belfast theater

LONDON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Actor Liam Neeson presided over a dinner that raised nearly $400,000 to help rebuild the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The BBC said Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Ciaran Hinds, Conleth Hill and Brian Kennedy were among the 50 or so guests at the fundraiser, which took place at a posh New York penthouse apartment.

The original Lyric Theatre, built in 1951, is where Neeson began his career and he has long been one of its patrons, the British broadcaster noted.

The outdated facility is being rebuilt on the same site. It is expected to cost $28 million and is scheduled to open this year, the BBC said.