Constantine Maroulis, Lea Delaria, Kathy Najimy, Taran Killam & More Set for 24 HOUR MUSICALS on 4/6

A team of nearly 100 stars from Broadway, film, television, and music will cast, write, compose, direct, rehearse, tech, and perform four original musicals - all in the obscenely short time between an evening meet-and-greet on Sunday, April 6 and show time on Monday, April 7 at 8pm.

The 24 Hour Company ® is teaming with the Exchange, an off-Broadway theater company, to create the sixth-ever 24 Hour Musicals. The event benefits the Exchange's summer retreat, The Orchard Project, which kick-starts innovative new theatrical work from around the world. The musicals will be written, cast, rehearsed, and performed at Irving Plaza over the course of a single day, featuring an all-star line up of Broadway performers, stars from TV and film, great composers and writers, directors and - to top it all off - choreographers and musical directors.

Participants currently include Eden Espinosa (Wicked), Constantine Maroulis (American Idol, Rock of Ages), Lea Delaria (Orange Is The New Black), Ashley Fink (Glee), Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live), Wesley Taylor (SMASH, Rock of Ages), de'Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Julian Fleisher (February House), Kathy Najimy (King of the Hill, Sister Act), Ted Sperling (The Other Josh Cohen, Striking 12), Theo Stockman (American Idiot), David Rossmer (The Other Josh Cohen, Peter and the Starcatcher), Jonathan Marc Sherman (Things We Want, Clive), Jenny Giering (Saint-Ex), Lance Horne (The $trip, Amandine), Theresa Rebeck (Seminar), Justin Levine (Bonfire Night), Steve Rosen (The Other Josh Cohen, Spamalot), Eisa Davis (Passing Strange, Bulrusher), Sarah Schenkkan (Wicked), Julie Reiber (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Sami Gayle (Blue Bloods), Marlo Hunter (Unlock'd), and Shea Sullivan (Pageant, Jawbreaker).

"Every year, a wonderfully talented group of the best from stage and screen come together to attempt the impossible," said Ari Edelson, the artistic director of the Exchange and the Orchard Project. "This combustive and joyous process is not only hugely entertaining, but it also raises the funds to support the beginning of dozens of shows that then go up around the country. It would not be a stretch to say that ALL THE WAY, which just opened on Broadway, would not be the great piece that it is without the the support of this event, as the play was written over two summers at the Orchard Project."

The creative team will arrive at Irving Plaza at 9 PM on Sunday, April 6 for a meet-and-greet. Each person brings a prop and a costume to inspire the writers. At 11 PM - after some singing, dancing, introductions, and "don't do this at home" warnings - the actors and directors go get some rest and the composers and book writers get to work. Completed musicals - with at least two songs each - are due by 7 AM. In the morning, directors, choreographers, and actors arrive for rehearsals. After a supersonic tech (with lights, costumes and sound) in the late afternoon, the audience arrives. The unconventional time constraints create a tremendous amount of energy. Although actors have only one day create characters, learn blocking, music and choreography, the musicals are performed without scripts in hand.

The show starts at 8 PM, with an open bar courtesy of Monsieur Touton Selection and Diageo and finishes with a VIP afterparty with cast and crew. Tickets for the gala are between $75 and $500 and all include admission to the show and open bar at Irving Plaza. To buy tickets, visit http://www.exchangenyc.org/201424HM.