Esparza, Macy, Huffman, Abraham and More Set for Atlantic Theater Spring Gala 4/27, Pittu to Direct

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director; Mary McCann, Atlantic School Executive Director) is proud to announce its 2009 Annual Spring Gala, AN EVENING OF UNEXPECTED MUSICAL ADAPTATIONS, written and directed by Atlantic Ensemble member and two-time Tony Award® nominee David Pittu on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway @ 36th Street).

The Gala will feature appearances and performances by F. Murray Abraham, Jonathan Cake, Ethan Coen, Raul Esparza, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy and more to be announced.

The evening will begin at 6:30p and include cocktails and music, dinner and a star studded performance and live auction. Celebrity presenters and guests will be announced.

This year's Atlantic Gala promises to deliver an original tribute to the genre of musical adaptations while celebrating the accomplished history of the award-winning Off-Broadway theater company.

Past Galas have saluted Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award winning actress and Ensemble member Felicity Huffman, Atlantic co-founders William H. Macy and David Mamet, and Academy Award® winning Atlantic Ensemble member Mary Steenburgen and husband Emmy® and Golden Globe Award® winner Ted Danson.

Memorable Gala moments have witnessed Patti LuPone serenading David Mamet, Woody Allen playing his clarinet and guests such as Steve Martin, Helen Hunt, Liev Schrieber, Lynn Redgrave, Elijah Wood, Kristen Johnston, Bob Balaban, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Mendes, Julia Stiles, F. Murray Abraham and Cynthia Nixon.

Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Atlantic Theater Company Productions and Arts Education Outreach programs including "Atlantic For Kids" children's productions and Atlantic's in-classroom "Students and Educators" series, which serves over 3,000 New York City public school students annually. Atlantic's goal is to help teachers cultivate the next generation of theater artists, audiences, and most importantly, critical thinkers and writers.

Atlantic operates the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, which has an undergraduate program in conjunction with NYU, as well as a two-year professional acting program and a six week intensive workshop every summer.

Co-founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy, Atlantic Theater Company is the award-winning Off-Broadway theater dedicated to producing great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble. Since 1985, Atlantic has produced more than 126 plays, including the hit musical Spring Awakening. After receiving its world premiere on Atlantic's main stage in 2006, it transferred to Broadway and won eight Tony Awards® including Best Musical, and is now touring Europe and Asia.

Over the last twenty four years, Atlantic has garnered twelve Tony Awards®, nine Lucille Lortel Awards, fourteen Obie Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, four Drama League Award and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award.

The 2008-2009 season has featured critically acclaimed world premiere productions of Beau Willimon's drama Farragut North and David Pittu's comedy What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling; Martin McDonagh's smash hit The Cripple of Inishmaan and the 20th Anniversary Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow. Academy Award® winning film-maker Ethan Coen returns to Atlantic with the world premiere of Offices this Spring.

Atlantic Theater maintains an ensemble of actors, writers and directors that represent a who's who among the artistic world. The ensemble includes founders David Mamet (Pulitzer Prize winner, Glengarry Glen Ross; Academy Award® nominee, Wag the Dog and The Verdict), William H. Macy (Academy Award® nominee, Fargo; Emmy Award® winner, "Door to Door"), founding members Felicity Huffman (Academy Award® nominee and Golden Globe Award® winner, Transamerica; Emmy Award® winner, "Desperate Housewives"), Clark Gregg ("The New Adventures of Old Christine," In Good Company), and Mary McCann (Little Children, The Spanish Prisoner, "The Unit"), Emmy Award® winner Kristen Johnston ("Third Rock from the Sun"), Giancarlo Esposito (Carlito's Way: The Beginning, Ali, Do the Right Thing), Chris Bauer (The Ballad of Bettie Page, "The Wire"), Mary Steenburgen (Golden Globe® and Academy Award® winner, Melvin and Howard ) and Camryn Manheim (Emmy Award® winner, "The Practice") among others.

GALA TICKET PRICES:

$2,000 ("Director"), $1,200 ("Choreographer"), $750. (individual "Composer") tickets.

GALA TABLES OF 10 PRICES:

$20,000 ("Director"), $12,000 ("Choreographer"), $7,500 ("Composer").

To purchase tickets, call 646-216-1088 / e-mail Catherine Williams: CWilliams@Atlantictheater.org.

For more information please visit, www.atlantictheater.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.