Darren Criss Set to Host Dramatists Guild Fund's LUCKY STARS Gala

Dramatists Guild Fund President Andrew Lippa and Executive Director Rachel Routh announce that actor, musician and Emmy-nominated composer, Darren Criss will host and perform at the annual gala Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars on October 26. Joining the previously announced line up are Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth honoring Stephen Schwartz and Mo Rocca honoring Laurence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin.

Starting at 12:00AM on Tuesday, October 20, $100 performance only tickets will go on sale through TodayTix, the official ticketing sponsor of Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars. http://www.todaytix.com/.

To purchase tickets for the full event, visit http://dgfund.org/gala/.

Darren Criss most recently starred on Broadway in the title role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and made his Broadway debut in 2012 as J. Pierrepont Finch in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Criss starred as Blaine Anderson on Fox's Emmy and Golden Globe Award?winning series "Glee." He stars in the upcoming Indie comedy, Smitten, directed by Academy award winner Barry Morrow and can currently be seen on Emmy award winning FX series, "American Horror Story."

As previously announced, Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars will be held on October 26 at Gotham Hall in New York. The Gala is the most critical fundraising event for the Dramatists Guild Fund, now celebrating 53 years of service to writers across the country through educational programs, writing development opportunities, and emergency aid to dramatists in need. This very special evening pays tribute to legendary writers and recognizes their significant contributions to American theater.

Directed by Leigh Silverman (Violet, The Wild Party, Chinglish) with Music Direction by Charlie Rosen, the event features award-winning playwrights, lyricists and composers introducing the stars who brought their work to life on stage, including Kirsten Childs, Gretchen Cryer & Nancy Ford, Sheldon Harnick, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Laurence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin, Steven Sater and Benjamin Scheuer.

The stars they'll be 'thanking' include Danny Burstein, Ben Platt, Alysha Umphress, Rashidra Scott, Felicia Finley Ann Harada, Phoebe Strole, Blake Daniel and Remy Zaken.

In addition, DGF honors two patrons of the arts and philanthropists Lynne Greene, Group President, The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., and Louise Camuto, Chief Creative Officer of Camuto Group. Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars also pays a special tribute to composer, lyricist, performer, and President Emeritus of the Dramatists Guild Fund, Gretchen Cryer, for her 10 years of service to dramatists across the country.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos