Inside Broadway's 2010 Broadway Beacon Awards will be held at 5:30pm today, June 17th, 2010 at the historic Players Club at Gramercy Park. Hosted by FOX5 New York's Julie Chang, the awards show will be honoring Tony Award-winners Katie Finneran and Anthony LaPaglia, the current stars of Billy Elliot on Broadway, Harry Coghlan (President and General Manager of Clear Channel Outdoor's New York and Spectacolor Divisions), and Nicholas & Lence Communications CEO (and former NYC & Company Director) Cristyne Nicholas. Presenters for the evening include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Broadway actor Brooks Ashmanskas, and Broadway Casting Director Nora Brennan.
Katie Finneran, who won a Tony for her performance in the current Broadway revival of Promises, Promises this past Sunday, also won a Tony for her performance in the 2001 revival of Noises Off.
Anthony LaPaglia, a familiar face on both TV and film, won a Tony Award for his performance in the 1998 revival of A View from the Bridge and is currently starring in the Tony-nominated revival of Lend Me a Tenor. The boys currently rotating in the title role of Billy Elliot on Broadway,
Jacob Clemente,
Michael Dameski,
Alex Ko,
Liam Redhead and
Dayton Tavares will all also be honored on June 17th. They will be represented at the event by
Jacob Clemente who will accept their award.
The awards show will also feature a performance by Broadway leading man
Hugh Panaro as well as students from Junior High School 278 in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
Now in its 27th year, Inside Broadway develops and produces touring equity musical productions as well as vital after school arts programs that allow students to interact with professionals in the field and experience theatre hands-on. The annual cocktail reception and awards show is held to support Inside Broadway's mission of bringing the joys of theatre to New York City's under-served public school students. "I am so thrilled to be honoring such a hardworking, talented, and committed group of individuals from the Broadway and business communities," says Inside Broadway's Executive Director
Michael Presser. "Inside Broadway's aim is to pass down the rich legacy of America's musical theater to future generations so that the magic, music, and universal themes of the genre are not lost, but rediscovered and made relevant for today's youth, and our honorees this year have each without a doubt greatly contributed to that cause."
Inside Broadway was established in 1982 at the invitation of
Bernard B. Jacobs, the late President of
The Shubert Organization, as an effort to create a student ticket program for New York City schools students. Today, Inside Broadway develops and produces touring equity musical productions as well as a wide range of educational programs that allow students to interact with professionals in the field and experience theatre hands-on in the classroom. For more on Inside Broadway, please visit
www.InsideBroadway.orgPrograms of Inside Broadway are funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council, New York City Department of Education, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, NY State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, NY State Department of Education, and the NY State Office of Children and Family Services.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
