Broadway leading man Hugh Panaro (The Phantom of the Opera, Lestat, Show Boat, Side Show, Les Miserables) is set to perform at Inside Broadway's 2010 Broadway Beacon Awards being held at 5:30pm on June 17th, 2010 at the historic Players Club at Gramercy Park. Harry Coghlan, President and General Manager of Clear Channel Outdoor's New York and Spectacolor Divisions, has also been added as an award recipient for the evening. "It's an absolute pleasure to be honored by such a worthwhile and extraordinary organization like Inside Broadway, and I truly look forward to celebrating their phenomenal success on June 17th," says Coghlan.
Hosted by FOX5 New York's Julie Chang, the awards show will also be honoring Tony Award-winners Katie Finneran and Anthony LaPaglia, the current stars of Billy Elliot on Broadway, and Nicholas & Lence Communications CEO (and former NYC & Company Director) Cristyne Nicholas.
Katie Finneran, who won a Tony for her performance in the 2001 revival of Noises Off, currently co-stars in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises (and is up for a 2010 Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance). Anthony LaPaglia, a familiar face on both TV and film, won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1998 revival of A View from the Bridge and is currently starring in the Tony-nominated revival of Lend Me a Tenor. The boys currently rotating in the title role of Billy Elliot on Broadway, Jacob Clemente, Michael Dameski, Alex Ko, Liam Redhead and Dayton Tavares will all also be honored on June 17th. They will be represented at the event by Jacob Clemente who will accept their award. The awards show will also feature a performance by students from Junior High School 278 in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
Now in its 27th year, Inside Broadway develops and produces touring equity musical productions as well as vital after school arts programs that allow students to interact with professionals in the field and experience theatre hands-on. The annual cocktail reception and awards show is held to support Inside Broadway's mission of bringing the joys of theatre to New York City's under-served public school students. "I am so thrilled to be honoring such a hardworking, talented, and committed group of individuals from the Broadway and business communities," says Inside Broadway's Executive Director Michael Presser. "Inside Broadway's aim is to pass down the rich legacy of America's musical theater to future generations so that the magic, music, and universal themes of the genre are not lost, but rediscovered and made relevant for today's youth, and our honorees this year have each without a doubt greatly contributed to that cause."
Inside Broadway was established in 1982 at the invitation of Bernard B. Jacobs, the late President of The Shubert Organization, as an effort to create a student ticket program for New York City schools students. Today, Inside Broadway develops and produces touring equity musical productions as well as a wide range of educational programs that allow students to interact with professionals in the field and experience theatre hands-on in the classroom. For more on Inside Broadway, please visit www.InsideBroadway.org
Programs of Inside Broadway are funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council, New York City Department of Education, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, NY State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, NY State Department of Education, and the NY State Office of Children and Family Services.
