Broadway and Local Talent Join Forces for Riverdale YM-YWHA Gala's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Broadway luminaries and Riverdale's most talented performers will join forces for a Gala concert production of the raucously effervescent musical comedy, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. The one-night only event will feature an onstage 14-piece orchestra, and will be performed at the Riverdale YM-YWHA on Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 6:45. The performance and honoree ceremony will be preceded by a cocktail hour with dinner buffet and silent auction at 5pm.

The honorees for this event are Dr. Miriam Westheimer and Joel Einleger, longtime supporters of the Riverdale YM-YWHA, for their many years of dedication to the performing arts.

This one-night only Gala event will benefit programs at the Riverdale Y, including the Riverdale Rising Stars scholarship fund, which will enable children and teens to participate in the organization's theatrical productions. The magic that happens in "our little corner of the world" requires the collaborative efforts of people with a passion for the theater, an enthusiasm for teaching life-enhancing skills and a love of community. These represent what our programs bring to the children and adults that we serve at the Riverdale Y. Our Annual Broadway Gala has become not only an inspiration, but a much needed source for these fundraising goals.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will be performed at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, located at 5625 Arlington Avenue (just off of Riverdale Avenue and West 256th Street), in Riverdale, Bronx, NY. Tax-deductible tickets begin at $50 for general admission tickets; higher giving levels also. $50 general admission tickets may be purchased by visiting www.riverdaley.org/gala, and benefactor packages, include benefits like VIP seats, program ads, and acknowledgment in next season's programs, may be purchased by visiting www.riverdaley.org/donate or by calling 718-548-8200. Please indicate "Gala" in the 'designate your donation to a specific program or fund field.

Travel back in time to the roaring 20s, when the champagne flowed and all the world was a song! In the Riverdale YM-YWHA's Gala production of the hilarious Tony Award-winning musical THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, mix-ups, mayhem, and a motley cast of characters come together for a fizzy, toe-tapping tribute to the transporting joy of old-fashioned musical comedies.

Featuring music and lyrics by Greg Morrison and Lisa Lambert, with a hilariously irreverent book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE took Broadway by storm in 2006, receiving the Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics' Awards for "Best Musical," and receiving 13 Tony nominations, of which it won five.

This one-night-only concert event stars Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans Jack Doyle (The Music Man), Danielle Lee Greaves (Rent), F. Michael Haynie (Wicked), James Hindman (Mary Poppins), Jamey Hood (The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World), Ken Jennings (original production of Sweeney Todd), Nancy Johnston (Elf), Jimmy Kieffer (Peter and the Starcatcher), Bill Nolte (La Cage aux Folles), Joey Sorge (Nice Work if You Can Get It), Emily Walton (Peter and the Starcatcher), Riverdale YM-YWHA Director of Performing Arts Laurie Walton (Show Boat), and Kevin Zak (Clinton: The Musical).

The cast is rounded out by Riverdale Repertory Company members including Lily Bayrock, Wylie Cohen, Jim DeBlasi, Patrick Dwyer, Elaine Helmrich, Timothy Mathis, Luz Montez, John Palacio, Shawn Renfro, and Katie Rhoades.

This concert production will be directed by Bob Walton (performer in the original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone), and the onstage 14-piece orchestra will be conducted by music director Justin Fischer (Trip of Love).

Riverdale Rising Stars was created to provide the teens of the Riverdale community and beyond a professional repertory company experience. Since its inception in 2000, the organization has expanded its programming to include Rising Stars Jr., Riverdale Repertory Company, and the Riverdale Performing Arts Conservatory (RPAC), an educational program for adults and children. Of greatest importance is the way that all build self-esteem, learn enormous respect for others, develop camaraderie and create lifelong friendships. Together, these award-winning companies provide a world of expression, passion and creativity for all ages.

In addition to THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, the spring season of theatre at the Riverdale YM-YWHA includes ZOMBIE PROM (teen performers - April 2-17, 2016); and HAIRSPRAY JR. (child performers - May 29 - June 9, 2016). For more information, visit www.RiverdaleRisingStars.com.

The mission of the Riverdale YM-YWHA is to be the hub that brings together members of the Jewish and wider community. At the Y, individuals and families of all backgrounds and abilities gather to grow, to learn, and to deepen their understanding of themselves and their connections to one another. Rooted in Jewish values, our cultural, social, educational, health and wellness programs offer members of all ages multiple pathways into the richness of our local community life. Through our programs and partnerships, we strive to improve the quality of life in the Riverdale community and celebrate its uniqueness and its diversity. For more, go to www.RiverdaleY.org.