Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes, LaChanze & More to Take Part in Harlem Stage 2022 Annual Gala

Harlem Stage will present its annual gala and opening night premiere of A Drop of Midnight by the chart-topping, global hip-hop artist Jason 'Timbuktu' Diakité, with direction by Jonathan McCrory. The Monday, June 6 evening is co-hosted by award-winning actors and Harlem Stage board members Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy.

Additionally, in a special pre-show presentation led by Cruz and Rux, the Harlem Stage 2022 gala celebration will honor Carrie Mae Weems - the influential contemporary artist, activist, and renowned photographer whose body of work spans five decades - with its "Harlem Stage Transformative Artist Award," and hip-hop dance artist and choreographer Sun Kim will be honored with the "Harlem Stage Emerging Artist Award."

TICKET pricing and package details for the June 6 gala evening are as follows:

LIVE PERFORMANCE at Harlem Stage Gatehouse | Hosted by Hugh Dancy

• $1,250 (single ticket) for 6 PM pre-show cocktail reception at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Avenue) + reserved seat for the 7 PM LIVE PERFORMANCE of A Drop of Midnight and after-party, with music by DJ April Hunt, immediately following at Malt House - Harlem (461 West 126th Street).

LIVESTREAM VIEWING PARTY at Malt House - Harlem | Hosted by Claire Danes

• $1,250 (single ticket) for 6 PM pre-show cocktail reception and red carpet event at Malt House - Harlem (461 West 126th Street) + reserved seat for the 7 PM LIVESTREAM VIEWING of A Drop of Midnight and after-party with music by DJ April Hunt.

A DROP OF MIDNIGHT: Commissioned through Harlem Stage's WaterWorks program, A Drop of Midnight is a compelling theatrical performance starring Diakité, with live musical accompaniment by the seven-piece Rakiem Walker Project (house band at Red Rooster Harlem) and Swedish composer/musician Erik Hjärpe. Jonathan McCrory (Obie Award-winning, Harlem-based artist and artistic director of National Black Theatre) is director and dramaturg.

Adapted from Diakité's 2016 bestselling memoir of the same name, A Drop of Midnight follows the hip-hop artist, born to interracial American parents in Sweden, and his story of growing up in the frail cultural and racial divide. Diakité takes audiences on a journey through his ancestors' origins as enslaved people in the antebellum South, his parents' struggles as an interracial couple, and his connection to hip-hop that helped him build a strong Black identity in Sweden.

The strictly limited June engagement will play seven shows:

• Monday, June 6 at 7:00 PM (6 PM pre-show opening night gala event)

• Tuesday, June 7 at 7:30 PM

• Wednesday, June 8 at 7:30 PM

• Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 PM

• Friday, June 10 at 7:30 PM

• Saturday, June 11 at 2 PM matinee & Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 PM

Regular tickets prices for A Drop of Midnight are $25 for general admission and $50 for priority seating. (Running time is 90 minutes.)

Support of this year's gala and funds raised from the evening help Harlem Stage ensure that the work of visionary artists of color continues, and is accessible to thousands. For a full list of supporters, visit harlemstage.org

HARLEM STAGE is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem's cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas. For nearly 40 years, Harlem Stage has stood at the intersection of art and social justice with a singular mission to perpetuate and celebrate the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. We provide opportunity, commissioning, and support for artists of color; make performances easily accessible to all audiences; and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement, and inspiration of the performing arts. Visit harlemstage.org.

EVENT DETAILS:

HARLEM STAGE PRESENTS

2022 ANNUAL GALA & OPENING NIGHT PREMIERE

OF JASON 'TIMBUKTU' DIAKITÉ'S A DROP OF MIDNIGHT

MONDAY, JUNE 6 at 6 PM (ET)

Co-Hosted by Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy

Pre-Show Award Presentation by PATRICIA CRUZ

to 2022 GALA HONOREES:

Contemporary Artist & Activist Carrie Mae Weems

Hip-hop dance artist SUN KIM

Other Special Guests to Include:

Award-Winning Actors LaChanze and Tamara Tunie,

Acclaimed Harlem Chef Marcus Samuelsson, and more

HarlemStage.org