On Thursday, June 26th, DON'T QUIT proudly celebrated its 2nd
anniversary. The show began as a one-off benefit on June 26, 2006 at Joe's Pub,
which grew into 10 sellout months. In the spring of 2007, a commercial
production played off-Broadway at the HA! Comedy Club in Times
Square.By 2008, the show
was firmly planted at The Zipper Factory, playing to oversold houses for six
months straight. All along, DON'T QUIT has contributed a percentage of its
profits to Open Doors, raising over $20,000 for TDF's program over the course
of the show's 2-year run.
DON'T QUIT YOUR NIGHT JOB is where Broadway goes to let its
hair down. The late night happening of improv, music, sketches and stories was
created by its stars: industry mainstays Steve Rosen (The Farnsworth Invention,
Monty Python's Spamalot), David Rossmer (Fiddler on the Roof, Titanic), Sarah
Saltzberg (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and music director Dan
Lipton (Paris Commune, The Coast of Utopia).
The 2nd anniversary show featured a number of
returning favorites from the DON'T QUIT stable of performers. Tony nominees
Kelli O'Hara and John Ellison Conlee have both appeared in many DQYNJ shows.
First-time guests included Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins herself), musical guest
Lea Delaria, and the Tony winning conductor of South Pacific, Ted Sperling.
DON'T QUIT YOUR NIGHT JOB has launched its official website:
dontquitnyc.com.
Open Doors is the Theatre Development Fund's theatre arts
mentoring program for high school students, started in 1998 by TDF with
playwright Wendy Wasserstein. Its goal is to explore the relevance of theatre
in the lives of today's youth. The program matches distinguished theatre and
dance professionals with students who have no prior exposure to theatre for an
entire school year. Mentors accompany students to performances on and off
Broadway, introducing them to the artists who create and perform NYC theatre.DON'T QUIT is proud to have raised over
$20,000 for Open Doors since June 2006.
Photos by Peter James Zielinski
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David Rossmer, Sarah Saltzberg, and Steve Rosen wax nostalgic about the last 2 years of 'Don't Quit Your Night Job'
Waiters bring our heros some birthday cake....
...and an epic opening number!
Julia Murney offers up some 'Defying Gravity'
Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Asmeret Ghebremichael,Derrick Baskin, and Maurice Murphy sing their birthday wishes
Jason Kravits breaks out the musical saw and puppy dog eyes
David Rossmer, Sarah Saltzberg, and Steve Rosen
Epic Birthday
Maurice Murphy, Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Derrick Baskin
The Opening Dance Sequence
David Rossmer
Here to announce the life time achievement award...Mandy Patinkin
...That's not Mandy Patinkin!
Director Danny Goldstein moves Alexander Gemignani
Alexander Gemignani,Danny Goldstein, and Sarah Saltzberg
Mo Rocca
Mo Rocca
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Tara Copeland
Steve Rosen
John Ellison Conlee, Sarah Saltzberg, and David Rossmer
John Ellison Conlee and Sarah Saltzberg
Lea Delaria
Lea Delaria
David Rossmer and Steve Rosen on NY2
Asmeret Ghebremichael takes flight
Ashley Morris and Jason Kravits
Jason Kravits,John Ellison Conlee, Asmeret Ghebremichael,Sarah Saltzberg, and Tara Copeland
John Ellison Conlee, Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Sarah Saltzberg
Jason Kravits and Ashley Morris
Ashley Morris and Jason Kravits
Alexander Gemignani
Sarah Saltzberg marks her territory on Alexander Gemignani
Tara Copeland and Jason Kravits
Tara Copeland and Jason Kravits
Tara Copeland,Sarah Saltzberg, and Jason Kravits
Ashley Morris,Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Sarah Saltzberg
David Rossmer sets up Musical Mad Libs
Musical Mab Libs Guest Ashley Brown is taken aback by what she'll have to sing
Ashley Brown
Ashley Brown
Ashley Brown
Dan Lipton prepares The Broadway Symphony
Dan Lipton and the cast
The Broadway Symphony with guest conductor Ted Sperling
Curtain Call
The End
Kelli O'Hara
Ashley Brown
Alexander Gemignani
Julia Murney
Mo Rocca
Noah Galvin and Trevor Braun
Rachel Maier and Ashley Morris
Julia Murney and John Ellison Conlee
Tony Yazbeck
Dan Lipton and Damien Bassman
Julia Murney, Asmeret Ghebremichael,Maurice Murphy, and Derrick Baskin
The Cast of 'Don't Quit Your Night Job' for June 26th, 2008
