Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sheryl Lee Ralph, John Gallagher Jr., & More Will Take Part in Gracie Mansion Virtual Gala RAISING THE CURTAIN: THEATER IS BACK!

Gracie Mansion Conservancy's 2021 Gala, RAISING THE CURTAIN: THEATER IS BACK! will be presented virtually next Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 6:00 PM ET. This one-of-a-kind evening is a celebration of Broadway, the heartbeat of New York City.

The 2021 Gracie Mansion Conservancy Gala, hosted by Broadway's original Deena Jones from Dreamgirls, Tony Award nominee, producer, and AIDS activist, Ms. Sheryl Lee Ralph (in the 40th Anniversary year of Dreamgirls) features premiere performances and appearances from the upcoming Thoughts of a Colored Man playwright Keenan Scott II and director Steve H. Broadnax III; the Co-Chair of the American Theatre Wing, Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, three-time Obie Award winner, and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, David Henry Hwang; from the upcoming much-anticipated revival of Company, Bobby Conte Thornton; from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Dear Evan Hansen, Jessica Phillips; from the brand-new musical Swept Away, having its premiere at Berkeley Rep next year, John Gallagher, Jr.; and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of the longest-running show in Broadway history.

As part of this year's Gala, Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be presented the Key to the City for his work as Chairman of The Actors Fund which has raised over $22 million to support over 40,000 out-of-work theater and entertainment professionals during the COVID pandemic.

In addition, there will be a Silent Auction featuring artists exhibited in the Gracie Mansion public rooms since 2019 in the shows She Persists: A Century of Women Artists in New York, 1919-2019 and CATALYST: Art and Social Justice.

Tickets ($25 - $500), with proceeds benefiting the Gracie Mansion Conservancy and The Actors Fund, can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/raising-the-curtain-theater-is-back-registration-154598421039

The Gracie Mansion 2021 Virtual Gala creative team includes Paul McGill, (Director) Harry McFann (Director of Photography), Eliza Anastasio (original music), and Rick Miramontez and Matthew Troillett (Producers). Susan Goulet is Production Manager.