Encompass New Opera Theatre to Honor Joel Grey and Jeanine Tesori Next Month

Today, Nancy Rhodes, Artistic Director of Encompass New Opera Theatre and Gala Honorary Chairs Sheldon Harnick, John Kander, Tony Kushner and Maury Yeston announced the October 26th star-studded musical salute honoring two luminaries of the American musical theater -- Tony and Academy Award-winning legend Joel Grey and celebrated, award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori.

It all takes place on Sunday, October 26th at The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York City. 6 pm cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception; 7 pm Musical Salute followed by champagne and dessert party.

Starring in the Musical Salute are Jeffry Denman, David Garrison, Lisa Kron, Judy Kuhn, Karen Mason, Michael McElroy, Bebe Neuwirth, Tonya Pinkins, David Pittsinger, Ron Raines, Patricia Schuman, Christopher Sieber, Betsy Wolfe, and surprise guests to be announced.

Gala Music Director/Arranger: Beth Ertz. Gala Producers: Michael A. Kerker and Nancy Rhodes. Production Manager C. Colby Sachs.

Past Encompass Honorees include: Sheldon Harnick (80th Birthday), John Kander, Charles Strouse, Jerry Herman, Jerry Bock, Maury Yeston, Joseph Stein, Richard Maltby, Jr., David Shire, John Weidman, Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Menken and Sheldon Harnick (90th Birthday).

Legendary performer JOEL GREY won a Tony Award for his brilliant portrayal as the Master of Ceremonies in the original Broadway musical Cabaret and garnered an Academy Award for the same role in the Hollywood film version. His second Broadway triumph was in the musical George M, where he played the great George M. Cohan, a virtuoso performance he recreated on Television. His Broadway credits include Come Blow your Horn, Stop the World -- I Want to Get Off, Half A Sixpence, Goodtime Charley, The Grand Tour, Chicago, and he originated the role of the Wizard of Oz in the hit musical Wicked. He made his Broadway directorial debut with The Normal Heart while also appearing as Moonface Martin in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of Anything Goes. He's won numerous awards for his film and TV appearances, and has three published books of photography: Pictures I had to Take, Looking Hard at Unexpected Things, and 1.3 -- Images from My Phone. He was recently presented with a lifetime achievement award by The National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene.

JEANINE TESORI, one of the foremost leading lights of the contemporary musical theater, composed four Tony-nominated scores for Broadway: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center, Shrek, the Musical, and Caroline, or Change which received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical at the National Theatre in London. Her musical Violet opened at the Roundabout Theater, starring Sutton Foster, and garnered four Tony Nominations including Best Musical Revival. Her most recent musical, Fun Home made its premiere at the Public Theater to critical acclaim (winner of Lortel, Outer Critics, NY Drama Critics, and Obie Awards) and will open on Broadway in April 2015. Her opera A Blizzard On Marblehead Neck was featured at the Glimmerglass Festival, and she composed the music for The New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Brecht's Mother Courage, translated by Tony Kushner, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. She has composed numerous film scores, and her new opera, The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me had its world premiere at the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Nancy Rhodes, Encompass New Opera Theatre is dedicated to the creation, development and production of adventurous new music theatre and contemporary opera, as well as the revival of important musical works by American and international composers. Devoted to widening the recognition of America's dramatists, composers, singers and musicians, Encompass has produced over 58 full-scale productions with orchestra and staged readings of over 159 new works, from jazz and cabaret to musicals and opera. Encompass will launch its new performance home in the Rose Nagelberg Theater with the witty and touching new comedy, A WAKE or a WEDDING, music and libretto by Richard Pearson Thomas, at the BARUCH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 55 Lexington Avenue, NYC, November 6 - 16. Tickets may be purchased online at encompassopera.org or by calling OvationTix at (866) 811-4111.

GALA CHAIRS
Daniel J. De Siena Harriet Slaughter Olga Talyn

GALA VICE-CHAIRS
Barbara Bliss Etty & Jacob Bousso Russell L. Lapso
Lynn Martindale Bettye Martin Musham C. Colby Sachs

GALA HONORARY COMMITTEE
Alan & Marilyn Bergman Patrick Cook, BMI Kristin Chenoweth Brian d'Arcy James
Susan Egan Sutton Foster Jason Graae Michael A. Kerker, ASCAP Lisa Kron Judy Kuhn
Liza Minnelli Cass Morgan Anika Noni Rose Darryl Roth Dick Scanlan

Gala tickets are $500/$350, with special discounts available before October 15, 2014. Visit www.encompassopera.org to buy tickets/for more information 718 398-4675.