Photo Coverage: Don't Quit Your Night Job Celebrates 2nd Anniversary

By: Jun. 30, 2008
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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

 


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



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