Neil Meron & Craig Zadan To Be Honored At NYMF's Season Awards Gala

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced today that special $75 show-only general admission tickets have also been made available for purchase for the Eighth Annual Season Awards Gala taking place on Sunday, November 6th at The Hudson Theatre (145 W. 44th Street). Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan will be honored for their work in bringing musical theatre to a worldwide, pop-culture audience; The pair are currently represented on Broadway with How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying are currently producing the new NBC television drama "SMASH" about the behind-the-scenes creation of a Broadway musical. "SMASH" premieres on NBC on February 6th.

To purchase show only tickets, please visit: www.NYMF.org/gala

How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe will be on hand to present Neil and Craig with their award. "Smash" star and American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee has just been announced to perform at the event.

NYMF will also be honoring the winners of the NYMF 2011 Awards for Excellence. The evening will include cocktails, a silent auction, seated dinner, and musical performances celebrating NYMF's Eighth Annual Season.

"We are thrilled to honor Neil and Craig with our Lifetime Achievement Award," said Executive Director and Producer of The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Isaac Robert Hurwitz. "With their recent revival of Promises, Promises and this season's How To Succeed... as well as their film adaptations of "Chicago," "Hairspray," "Gypsy," "Cinderella," "Annie," "The Music Man," and "Footloose," their passion and dedication to the theatre is truly exceptional. NYMF's mission is to present new work and we feel honored to have their support."

Previous Gala performers and presenters have included Cheyenne Jackson, Raul Esparza, Alice Ripley, Kelli O'Hara, Duncan Sheik, Sherie Rene Scott, Bebe Neuwirth, Anthony Rapp, and many others.

The honorary Gala host committee includes: Rob Ashford, Kristin Chenoweth, Anderson Cooper, Sean Hayes, Angela Lansbury, Joe Machota, Casey Nicholaw, Bernadette Peters, Kelly Preston, Marc Shaiman, John Stamos, Marlo Thomas, John Travolta, Beth Williams, Scott Wittman, Reneé Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Ticket prices for the full NYMF Awards Gala are as follows: Visionary Table of 10: $10,000, Champion Table of 10: $5,000, Champion Tickets: $500 (includes preferred seating and admission to the VIP After-Party with the artists), Supporter Table of 10: $3,750, and Supporter Tickets: $375. A limited number of show-only tickets are now on sale for $75.

To purchase tickets, call (212) 664-0979 x12, visit www.nymf.org/gala, or email gala@nymf.org

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan began at The Public Theater working for Joseph Papp. Zadan also wrote the acclaimed book Sondheim and Co. They recently produced the Tony® Award winning Promises, Promises on Broadway and are currently represented with the Tony® Award winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. Their films have garnered six Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, 11 Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards and a Grammy Award. Their feature films include "Chicago" (Six Oscars including Best Picture), Hairspray, The Bucket List, and Footloose. Their television projects (69 Emmy nominations) include: "Gypsy", "Cinderella", "Annie", "The Music Man", "Life With Judy Garland", "Martin and Lewis", "Serving In Silence", "The Beach Boys", "Brian's Song", "The Three Stooges", "The Reagans", "A Raisin In The Sun", plus the hit television series "Drop Dead Diva." They are currently producing with Steven Spielberg the new NBC television drama "Smash," about the behind-the-scenes creation of a Broadway musical.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and ensuring their creators the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work. NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Mayer Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.