Dramatists Guild Foundation Will Honor Tom Kitt and Mindy Rich at Annual Gala

Dramatists Guild Foundation has announced that it will honor orchestrator, and arranger Tom Kitt, the Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize Award-winning Composer, Orchestrator, and Arranger; and producer Mindy Rich, Chairman at Rich Holdings Inc., Executive Chair at Rich Entertainment Group (REG), and Producing Partner at Grove Entertainment.

The artists will be honored for their creative contributions, educational mentorship, and continued dedication to the American theater at the organization’s annual Gala on October 28, 2024, at Ziegfeld Ballroom. 

Tony, Emmy and Writers Guild nominated writer, comedian and New York Times best-selling author Amber Ruffin (Some Like It Hot, The Wiz) will return as host. 

Kitt’s acclaimed writing and orchestrating career, both on stage and screen,  will be celebrated with this year’s dramatist honor. 

As a musical theater composer, Tom Kitt has written the music for six Broadway shows: Next to Normal (Tony Award, Olivier Nomination), If/Then (Tony Nomination), Almost Famous (Tony Nomination), Flying Over Sunset (Tony Nomination), High Fidelity, and Bring it On: The Musical. His work for the stage has also been seen Off-Broadway at Second Stage (Next to Normal, Superhero), The Public Theater (The Visitor, Shakespeare in the Park) and he has worked at some of the most prestigious regional theaters including The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Signature Theater, and ART. In addition, Tom’s Broadway credits as an orchestrator include: Next to Normal (Tony Award), Hell’s Kitchen (Tony Nomination), The SpongeBob Musical (Tony Nomination), Jagged Little Pill (Tony Nomination), Almost Famous, Head Over Heels, Everyday Rapture, and American Idiot. Tom has also been active in the world of film and TV. As one of the vocal arrangers working on the Pitch Perfect films, Tom most notably helped create the classic “Riff-off.” Tom also served as music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator for Grease Live!, and contributed songs for Royal Pains, Penny Dreadful, and Sesame Street. He also provided music supervision for the NBC series, Rise and served as a Supervising Music Producer on the Bobby Lopez/Kristen Anderson-Lopez/Steven Levenson/Thomas Kail musical television series Up Here.  And he is known for his three original opening numbers for The Tony Awards, “This Party’s for You” in 2024, written with Amanda Green for Ariana DeBose, “Live” in 2019, written with David Javerbaum for James Corden, and the Emmy Award winning “Bigger” in 2013, written with Lin-Manuel Miranda for Neil Patrick Harris. Tom is also proud that his musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, co-written with Bridget Carpenter and Brian Yorkey was turned into an original movie musical for Disney Channel.  Tom is a Sony Masterworks artist, with whom he recorded his debut album, Reflect in 2021.

Rich will be honored for her dedication to fostering and expanding the stories seen on our stages for more than a decade. 

She is a partner in Grove Entertainment, a production company dedicated to developing, producing, presenting, and investing in new work for stage and screen. Current: Water For Elephants, Hell’s Kitchen, The Girl from the North Country (tour). RECENT: Good Night, Oscar, The Wiz, A Strange Loop, Company, Diana The Musical, The Band’s Visit and CATS (Broadway and Tour). Upcoming:  Buena Vista Social Club, Ceilidh. Mindy got her start in theater in 2012 as executive chair of Rich Entertainment Group (REG) with Clybourne Park, followed by Chaplin the Musical and Honeymoon in Vegas. Between Grove Entertainment and REG, she has been a part of more than 30 shows. REG is also responsible for the organization’s baseball, theater, restaurant, and travel interests. Mindy is a proud supporter of La Jolla Playhouse and endowed the Christopher Ashley Rich Family Artistic Chair in 2019. She is the Chairman of Rich Holdings Inc., the holding company for international food company Rich Products Corporation and all Rich family business enterprises.

The honorees will be celebrated at DGF’s Gala, supporting playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists for the American theater through financial resources, education-driven programming, and free rehearsal spaces throughout their careers. Tables, individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available by visiting DGF.org/Gala or calling (212) 391-8384.

DGF’s Gala is generously presented by Creative Partners Productions, with additional support from Dramatists Play Service, A Broadway Licensing Global Imprint. 

Emmy, Tony, and WGA Award nominee Amber Ruffin is an NYC-based actress, singer, voice artist, event host, comedian, writer/performer for NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and host of NBC’s “The Amber Ruffin Show.” She trained in sketch comedy and improvisation at The Second City Chicago Mainstage and Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Her fellow Boom Chicago alumni include Jason Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, and Jordan Peele (whom she has starred alongside with in Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele”). Shortly after, Amber joined Late Night, becoming the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards, 2022 Tony Awards and has written for the Emmy-nominated series “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” Her voice work can be heard on such titles as Netflix’s “Big Mouth” and Apple’s “Central Park” as well as the purple M&M in their commercials. Aside from The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber frequently travels the country hosting and moderating various events including E! Live’s 2024 Emmy’s carpet coverage, the 2024 and 2018 Webby Awards, the 2023 PFLAG 50th Anniversary Gala, 2022 and 2023 Countdown Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2022 Neiman Marcus’ White Elephant holiday luncheon, 2022 Inc. Magazine 5000 Conference Gala, the 2022 EBONY Power 100 Gala, the 2024 Variety Power of Women NY Luncheon. Amber and her sister Lacey co-host “The Current” podcast. Amber also earned a “Best Book of a Musical” Tony nomination for co-writing the Tony-winning musical “Some Like it Hot,” (produced by Mariah Carey) which is currently touring, as well as “The Wiz” revival (produced by Common), on Broadway.