Hilty, Bundy, Borle, Chase, LuPone, McPhee and More Set for New York Pops' Celebration of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman Tonight

Tonight, April 28, 2014, The New York Pops marks its 31st birthday with a grand gala evening celebrating the work of composer, lyricist, and arranger Marc Shaiman and director, lyricist, and writer Scott Wittman, as well as the leadership and mentorship work of corporate honoree Paul J. Massey, Jr., CEO and Founding Partner of Massey Knakal Realty Services. Gala Co-Chairs include Neil Heilberg, Todd Korren, William C. Montana, and James A. Read. Serving as Honorary Co-Chairs for the event are stars Matthew Broderick, Debra Messing, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The event begins at 7:00 PM with a concert at Carnegie Hall, featuring a spectacular lineup of stars from both stage and screen under the baton of Music Director Steven Reineke. The performance will feature highlights from the work of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Performers for the evening will include: Megan Hilty, Laura Bell Bundy, John Pizzarelli, Corey Reynolds, Aaron Tveit, Nikki Blonsky, Christian Borle, Kerry Butler, Will Chase, Linda Hart, Capathia Jenkins, Jane Krakowski, Ricki Lake, Jenifer Lewis, Patti LuPone, Andrea Martin, Katharine McPhee, Martin Short, and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

The celebration will also feature Broadway Inspirational Voices, Ronald McDonald House Rockin' the House Band and Singers, Camp Broadway Kids, and Kids On Stage Students. Following the concert, a black tie dinner dance will be held at the elegant Mandarin Oriental New York.

An online auction is being held through May 1 at www.CharityBuzz.com/NewYorkPops, featuring items generously donated by the orchestra's many friends from the world of arts and entertainment. All gala and auction proceeds support the orchestra and its PopsEd programs throughout New York City.

For ticket and event information visit www.newyorkpops.org.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK POPS: The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall. The New York Pops was founded by Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America's rich musical heritage. The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend traditional education with pure fun. For more information visit http://www.newyorkpops.org and follow on Facebook (facebook.com/newyorkpops) and Twitter (@newyorkpops).

Steven Reineke is the Music Director and Conductor of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh.

ABOUT THE HONOREES

MARC SHAIMAN - Marc Shaiman composed the music and, with Scott Wittman, co-wrote the lyrics for Hairspray. For their score, the pair won Tony and Grammy Awards. They teamed up again on Broadway for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and Catch Me If You Can (the latter for which Shaiman was a Tony Award nominee for co-orchestrating) and most recently they wrote the original musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for director Sam Mendes, which is currently performing in London's West End. Marc served as an executive producer, and songwriter for NBC's musical drama "Smash." For their work on "Smash," Marc and Scott were nominated for two Emmys and a Grammy Award for their original songs and received a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Musical/Comedy TV series. Marc is a five-time Academy Award nominee for his film scores and original songs for Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, Patch Adams, The American President and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Marc received an Emmy Award for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award medleys and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for writing on "Saturday Night Live" (the Sweeney Sisters). His arrangements for Harry Connick, Jr. and his production of the Hairspray soundtrack brought him two Grammy Award nominations each.

SCOTT WITTMAN - Scott Wittman co-wrote, with Marc Shaiman, the lyrics for the Olivier Award-winning musical Hairspray, for which the pair received Tony and Grammy Awards. He also served as an executive producer on the hit film starring John Travolta. Scott and Marc teamed up again for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which he also directed, and Catch Me If You Can, which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. For their original songs on NBC's musical drama "Smash," Scott and Marc were nominated for two Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. On "Smash" they composed songs for Jennifer Hudson, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Liza Minnelli. Their original score for the Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell was released on Sony Records. Scott co-wrote the lyrics to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory directed by Sam Mendes. For Patti LuPone, Scott created and directed two Broadway shows, three recordings and four sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts. With Christine Ebersole, he co-created a string of critically lauded evenings at The Carlyle and across the country. At La Mama, Scott conceived and directed Jukebox Jackie starring Justin Vivian Bond, Cole Escola, Steel Burkhardt and Bridget Everett. At Joe's Pub at The Public, Scott directed and co-wrote Rock Bottom, also starring Bridget Everett.

PAUL J. MASSEY, JR. - Paul J. Massey, Jr. is the Chief Executive Officer, and with Robert A. Knakal, a Founding Partner of the New York metropolitan area's premier full service brokerage firm, Massey Knakal Realty Services. In 2007, Mr. Massey was honored with the Real Estate Board of New York's prestigious Louis Smadbeck Memorial Broker Recognition Award, which honors a broker whose career distinctions include personal and professional integrity, long term leadership and prominence in the brokerage community, and participation on Real Estate Board committees. With over 150 employees serving more than 200,000 property owners, Massey Knakal Realty Services is ranked New York's #1 investment sales firm in volume for the 12th consecutive year by CoStar Group, a national independent tracking agency. With more than $2 billion in annual sales, Massey Knakal also ranks as one of the nation's largest privately owned real estate brokerage firms. Services include sales brokerage, retail leasing, financing, consulting and investment analysis, professional arbitration and valuation. Mr. Massey is an amateur boxer and an avid sailor. He resides in Larchmont, NY with his wife Gretchen, son, Paul III, and daughters, Sarah and Greta.