Andy Karl and Orfeh Will Host the Chita Rivera Awards

Andy Karl (Groundhog Day, "Law and Order: SVU") and Orfeh (Legally Blonde, upcoming Pretty Woman) will host the 2018 Chita Rivera Awards (www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com), taking place at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place, off Washington Square Park) on Sunday, May 20 at 7:30pm.

Performances for the evening have also been announced. Brittany Pollack and Andrei Chagas will perform the ballet pas de deux from Carousel, Ariana DeBose and the cast will perform "Hot Stuff" from Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Evan Ruggiero & Marc Acito will perform "Nil Desperandum" from Bastard Jones, and there will be a sneak preview of the new John Kander/Susan Stroman musical Beast of the Jungle with Tony Yazbeck and Irina Dvorovenko. There will also be performances by Stephanie Pope(Kiss of the Spiderwoman), Harvey Fierstein (Fiddler on the Roof), Ben Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera), Bryonha Marie Parham (The Prince of Broadway), Lindsey Croop (Dance Theatre of Harlem),Georgina Pazcoguin (New York City Ballet) and Calvin Royal III (American Ballet Theatre).

At the evening's ceremony, actress, dancer, and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade will receive the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award, iconic composer John Kander will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theater as a Composer, legendary theater director and producer Harold Princewill be presented with the SDC Director Award for Exemplary Collaboration with Choreographers,andSteven Hoggett, who is represented on Broadway this season with Angels in America and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will receive the inaugural Douglas and Ethel Watt Critics' Choice Award.

The presenters of the Chita Rivera Awards include: Joel Grey (Cabaret), Ben Vereen (Pippin), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies), Maurice Hines (Tappin' Through Life), Lea Salonga (Once On This Island), Jessie Mueller (Carousel), Norbert Leo Butz (My Fair Lady), Gavin Creel (Hello Dolly!), Patricia Birch (Candide,Grease), Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd), Laura Osnes (Bandstand), Robert Fairchild (An American In Paris, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), and Karen Ziemba (Prince of Broadway).

The Chita Rivera Awards are produced by Nikki Feirt Atkins, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Dance Machine of the 21st Century, Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation along with Patricia Watt and Iris Smith. Lanteri also serves as director of the 2018 Chita Rivera Awards.

Tickets for the Chita Rivera Awards are currently on sale and can be purchased at www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com or by calling 1-855-NYC-5678. Ticket prices are as follows: $100 for a balcony ticket to the Awards ceremony, $300 for a par-terre ticket to the Awards ceremony and admission to the red carpet pre-show cocktail party, $500 for an orchestra ticket to the Awards ceremony and admission to the pre-show red carpet cocktail party and VIP reception, and $5000 for 10 Orchestra tickets to the Awards ceremony, admission for 10 to the pre-show red carpet cocktail party & 1 table at the VIP reception.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos