Austin Pendleton, Richard Kind and More Set for Frog & Peach Theatre's NATURAL MAGIC Gala Tonight

To kick off its 21st Season and celebrate the world of William Shakespeare, Frog & Peach Theatre Company will host a Benefit Gala NATURAL MAGIC tonight, September 24 at 7pm at the Greenwich House Music School (46 Barrow Street) to raise funds for the company (which includes free and subsidized tickets for NYC public school students). Frog & Peach's fall production is William Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, running in October & November.

Tickets for the 9/24 Benefit Gala are $75-$2,500 and the evening will include a silent auction, cocktail reception with sumptuous menu from Box Kite Cafe (www.boxkitenyc.com), a performance from magician Don "The Disillusionist" Swekowski, as well as readings of Shakespeare's most magical scenes, featuring veteran actors of film, TV, Broadway & Off-Broadway including Drama Desk & Obie Award-winner Austin Pendleton (original cast of Fiddler on the Rood, The Diary of Anne Frank, films Finding Nemo, A Beautiful Mind), Tony Award-nominee and TV star Richard Kind (The Big Knife, The Producers, TV's Mad About You, Spin City), Emmy Award-nominee Harris Yulin (Frasier, films Scarface, Ghostbusters II, Training Day) and David Margulies (Angels in America, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Wonderful Town, films Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters II, All That Jazz).

Tickets for the 'Natural Magic' Gala are priced at $75 (Single Gala Ticket), $125 (2 Gala Tickets, 2 Tickets to Fall Mainstage Production), $200 (2 Gala Tickets, 2 Tickets to Fall Mainstage Production), $500 (2 Gala Tickets, 2 Tickets to Fall & Spring Mainstage Productions), $1000 (Gala Table for 4, 4 Tickets to Fall & Spring Mainstage Productions), and $2,500 (Gala Table for 6, 6 Tickets to Fall & Spring Mainstage Productions) and can be purchased in advance online at www.EventBrite.com.

In its 20 years, some of the featured performers in Frog & Peach productions and readings have included Austin Pendleton, Academy Award-winner Estelle Parsons, Academy Award-nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno, Tony & Emmy Award-winner Bebe Neuwirth, Fred Willard, Shirley Knight, Rip Torn, Tom Noonan, Susie Essman, Emmy-nominee Anna Chlumsky (Veep), 30 Rock cast members Scott Adsit & Maulik Pancholy, Alan Zweibel & SNL alum Darrell Hammond.

Frog & Peach Theatre Company was founded in 1994 by Lynnea Benson & Ted Zurkowski, Lifetime Members of The Actors Studio and lifelong fans of Shakespeare's plays. Frog & Peach was born with an idea for making Shakespeare's plays accessible to everyone, regardless of income or diploma. Known for cinematic pace, thrills, and for never "dumbing down" the text, Frog & Peach has been turning regular New Yorkers into Shakespeare fans ever since. For more information, visit www.FrogAndPeachTheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride