Drama League Will Honor James Earl Jones at 2015 Gala- MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF BROADWAY

The Drama League (Executive Director Gabriel Shanks; Artistic Director Roger T. Danforth) announced today they will honor the legendary Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar® and Tony® Award (EGOT) winner James Earl Jones at the 31st Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway, to be held on Monday evening, February 2, 2015 at the famed Pierre Hotel (2 East 61st Street). The black-tie gala, which features dozens of stars from Hollywood and Broadway in a one-night-only musical tribute inspired by Mr. Jones' career in theater, film and television, supports The Drama League's educational initiatives for promising young artists. Tickets are available by calling (212) 244-9494.

"As he is proving eight times a week at the Longacre Theatre in You Can't Take It With You, James Earl Jones is a national treasure," said Executive Director Gabriel Shanks. "The Drama League is honored to celebrate his extraordinary life and career with him on February 2nd, and to bring together his many co-stars, friends, admirers and collaborators from the last six decades, all in one very spectacular night."

The Musical Celebration of Broadway Honoring James Earl Jones will welcome 500 of New York City's most influential arts supporters, celebrities, and luminaries for a black-tie evening of cocktails, dinner, and the acclaimed, unforgettable musical revue that is the signature of this event. Featuring dozens of stars from film, television and theatre, the Musical Celebration of Broadway will highlight shows from Mr. Jones' illustrious theater triumphs, including You Can't Take it With You, Fences, Master Harold...and the Boys, The Great White Hope, Othello, Driving Miss Daisy, Field Of Dreams, Gabriel's Fire, The Lion King, and the Star Wars trilogy, among others. The Musical Celebration of Broadway Honoring James Earl Jones will be produced by Roger T. Danforth and Trevor Tamashiro.

Mr. Jones joins a noted roster of past Drama League Honorees, including Neal Patrick Harris, Liza Minnelli, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Chita Rivera, Rosie O'Donnell and Terrence McNally, all exceptional artists whose talent and passion have served as a benchmark for others.

The Musical Celebration of Broadway Honoring James Earl Jones will raise funds to support the educational training programs of The Drama League Directors Project. The award-winning initiative, which began in 1982 and whose alumni now number over 300, has been instrumental in launching the careers of Tony® Award winners Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland), Pam MacKinnon (A Delicate Balance), Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), John Rando (On The Town), and award-winning directors Christopher Ashley, Mark Brokaw, Rachel Chavkin, and Alex Timbers, to name a few.

'Drama League Directors' are directing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at regional theaters across the country, and in film and television. They are the artistic directors and associates at 58 regional theaters, including James Bundy(Dean, Yale School of Drama), Hal Brooks (Pearl Theatre), Laura Kepley (Cleveland Play House), Jonathan Silverstein (Keen Company), Michael John Garces (Cornerstone Theatre Company), Ed Iskandar (Exit Pursued By A Bear), Ms. Paulus (American Repertory Theatre), Mr. Ashley (La Jolla Playhouse), Ms. Chavkin (The TEAM), and more. Others hold prominent positions throughout the industry as producers, writers, agents and administrators, and many are educating the next generation of directors at some of our finest professional training programs.

Their directing work has been honored Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Obie, Peabody, Drama Desk, GLAAD, Drama League, New York Drama Critics Circle, Outer Critics, Evening Standard, Lucille Lortel, Bessie, Princess Grace, Garland, Drama-Logue, Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Elliot Norton, and Joseph Jefferson Awards, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. They have in many ways shaped the future of the American theater, with the praise of critics and audiences alike.

For questions, more information, or to reserve tickets, please call (212) 244-9494 ext. 101 or e-mailtheleague@dramaleague.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos