Interview: Women in Theatre- Spotlight on the Lilly Awards Foundation and Amanda Green!

On Monday, November 10, The Lilly Awards Foundation with the Broadway at Birdland Series will soon present The Lilly Awards Broadway Cabaret: An evening of showstoppers written by women and performed by Broadway's Best to benefit The Lilly Awards Foundation whose mission is to promote gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, and develop and celebrate the work of women in the theater. The evening will be directed by Daisy Prince, musical direction by Georgia Stitt and co-produced by Amanda Green and Georgia Stitt.

Guest performers will include Brooks Ashmanskas, David Beach, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jenn Colella, Gretchen Cryer, Jason Danieley, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Nancy Ford, Matt Gallagher, Adam Guettel, Caitlin Kinnunen, Sydney Lucas, Debra Monk, Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone, Cass Morgan, Jim Newman, Keala Settle, Douglas Sills, Dale Soules, Elizabeth Stanley, Maria Thayer, Jessica Vosk, Adrienne Warren, Kate Wetherhead, and The Broadway Boys, with special appearances by Jason Robert Brown, Carol Hall, Steven Pasquale, and Valerie Vigoda. The evening will be directed by Daisy Prince, musical direction by Georgia Stitt and co-produced by Amanda Green and Georgia Stitt.

Below, Green shares with BroadwayWorld her history with the organization, what to expect from the concert and more!

How did you become involved with the Lilly Awards Foundation?

I became involved with the Lilly Awards Foundation after attending the Lilly Awards last year.

I was moved, impressed and heartened to find this community of women in the theater. The award recipients, from actors to producers, writers, songwriters, agents, directors, were so deserving, impressive and inspiring. And those who spoke so passionately and warmly on their behalf, were men and women in the theater I deeply admire. There was so much love, recognition and respect in the room. Don't get me wrong, my male collaborators are beloved brothers-from-another-mother, and there is no place I'd rather be than in the theater, doing what I'm doing. I'm grateful every day to be invited to the party. But it can also sometimes be a bit lonely for women. Here was a community that embraces, acknowledges and inspires women. I was hooked.

What/who are you most looking forward to in this year's cabaret?

There are so many great women songwriters represented - both from the Golden Age of Broadway, our present and our future-- and so many singers and performers I admire and love. I am excited to be reunited with several beloved cast and team members of "Hands On A Hardbody" and to get to sing "Joy Of The Lord" with them! But I am most looking forward to the cumulative effect of having all that impressive talent and celebratory joy in one room in one night.

Have you seen strides being made in gender parity in the industry in recent years?

I have seen strides yes! More young women in the music department, associate directing, producing, writing, composing, stage managing, etc etc. But we still have a ways to go to achieve parity. It was illustrated to me in a conversation I had recently with a young professional. She was telling me about a skype meeting she'd had regarding an international production - directors, producers, from around the world. "Of course I was the only woman on the call." She said as a matter of fact. I still routinely hear this, and experience it myself.

Who are some women in the industry that you admire/have influenced you and your work?

There are so many women whose work I admire and who have influenced me! Starting from home of course, my mother Phyllis Newman. I watched her act, sing, direct, organize, write and produce. I saw her get jobs and create her own opportunities. Betty Comden of course - who was always the only woman in the room, and who was my father's loyal collaborator and friend for 60+ years. She made it seem easy - and I'm sure was responsible for why I chose this profession without questioning if I would find a place. Betty did, so why couldn't I?

What does it mean to you to be a part of this kind of organization?

It is very important to me to be part of an organization that champions women and women in the theater. We need to be our best representatives and invite each other to the party.

The Lilly Awards Broadway Cabaret is Monday, November 10th beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Birdland, located at 315 W. 44th Street in NYC.

The Lilly Awards Foundation Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, as well as develop, celebrate and advocate for the work of women in the theater. To those ends, the Lilly Awards Foundation produces a yearly awards ceremony called The Lilly Awards which recognizes outstanding contributions to the theater made by women writers, composers, directors and designers; designs and initiates programs to raise awareness of gender bias within the hiring and producing practices of theaters; endeavors to change the artistic choices of theaters and residency programs nationally; and conducts a Count (expected to be released this fall) which will determine how many women writers and artists are being hired and produced by American theaters of all sizes.