Andrea Burns & More Set for York Theatre's Fundraising Event Tonight, Feat. Songs from New Musical BUDDY'S TAVERN

The York Theatre Company will host a special gala event featuring several numbers from the Richard Rodgers Award-winning new musical in development, Buddy's Tavern, with book by Raymond DeFelitta, lyrics by Alison Louise Hubbard, and music by Kim Oler. The institutional fundraising event is set for TONIGHT, August 5 at the Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art Gallery (652 Broadway, 2nd Floor, between Bleecker and Bond Streets). Portion of the proceeds collected by the Gertsman Gallery will be donated to The York Theatre Company.

Directed by Peter Flynn, with music direction by Ray Fellman, the evening's entertainment portion will feature Andrea Burns, Walter A. Dunn, Jr., Daniele Ferland, Jordan Gelber, Alan Green, Philip Hoffman, Mark Lotito, and Lindsie Van Winkle-Guthrie.

Buddy's Tavern, winner of the Richard Rodgers Award and based on the Sundance Award-winning movie, Two-Family House, was featured at the Eugene O'Neill Musical Theatre Festival and Village Originals in Issaquah, WA, and was developed at ASCAP and BMI. Raymond DeFelitta is the writer-director of many films, including Two Family House and City Island (winner of the Tribeca Audience Award); Kim Oler is the winner of two Daytime Emmy Awards; Alison Louise Hubbard is the winner of the Kleban Award for Lyrics. Alison and Kim won the Richard Rodgers Award for Little Women and the Jerry Bock Award for The Enchanted Cottage.

The Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art Gallery has the USA's largest collection of artworks by over 50 contemporary, Russian-born artists. This is practically the only American art gallery where the most important artists of the Soviet and post-Soviet time are represented. These artists have been seen in the most well-known world's venues and exhibits for the contemporary art scene, and they are in the Permanent Collections of prestigious museums ranging from the Metropolitan, MoMA and The Guggenheim Museum in New York to the Tate Gallery in London, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and National Art Gallery in Berlin (www.agcontemporaryart.com)

Currently in performance at the York Theatre Company is the New York premiere of Storyville, a New Orleans musical, with book by Ed Bullins, music and lyrics by Mildred Kayden, direction by Bill Castellino, choreography by Mercedes Ellington and music direction by William Foster McDaniel. The cast features two-time Tony Award nominee Ernestine Jackson, with D.C. Anderson, Cory Bretsch, Karen Burthwright, Kyle RoBert Carter, Dameka Hayes, Michael Leonard James, Leajato Robinson, Clifton Samuels, Christopher Spaulding, Carl Wallnau, Debra Walton, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Zakiya Young. Now in performance through Saturday, August 17, 2013 at York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's.

The York Theatre Company is the only theater in New York City-and one of very few in the world-dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over four decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its Mainstage Series-most of them world, American, or New York premieres-by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 35 cast recordings from The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and its acclaimed revivals of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical Revival), Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.