Laura Benanti and Christine Duffy to be Honored at Broadway Dreams Gala

Broadway Dreams’ annual gala will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, with a cocktail hour at 6 PM and performances at 7 PM at The Plaza New York. Co-directed by Tony Award-winner Alex Newell and Emmy Award-nominated director and choreographer Spencer Liff, the Broadway Dreams Gala will feature musical performances by a cast of Broadway’s best together with an ensemble of the organization’s current students and alumni. The evening will raise critical funds for Broadway Dreams’ global work in supporting performing arts education, career development, and mentorship.  Tickets are now on sale.

The evening will honor Tony Award-winner and five-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti and feature the presentation of the 2024 Founder’s Award to Christine Duffy, the highly esteemed President of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Through her exceptional talent, versatility, and commitment to supporting arts education and other charitable causes, Laura Benanti serves as a powerful inspiration for our Dreamers and young artists worldwide. Under the leadership of Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line provides a valuable platform for countless young artists to showcase their talents and gain professional experience through their world-class entertainment offerings,” said Annette Tanner, Founder and President of Broadway Dreams. “All of us at Broadway Dreams are excited to celebrate the extraordinary talents and impressive accomplishments of this year's honorees at our 2024 Gala.”

Past honorees include Tony Award-winning and Emmy-nominated producer, Robert Greenblatt; Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning performer Billy Porter; Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning composer Tom Kitt; Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist duo Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty; Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer Heather Headley; and Emmy Award- nominated performer Tituss Burgess. 

Founded in 2006, Broadway Dreams offers mentorship-driven performing arts training programs throughout the year. It draws on a wide network of teaching artists from the Broadway community and inspires students to awaken their highest potential. Now in its 17th year, Broadway Dreams has inspired more than 20,000 students in more than eight countries, including a record 3,200 in-person students in 2022 alone. Broadway Dreams has to date awarded more than $1.8M in scholarships, with more than 150 students booking professional breakthrough jobs since 2018. 

The Broadway Dreams Board of Directors includes Dr. Elizabeth Faulkner (Chair), Marjorie Wynn, Adam C. Sansiveri, Margaret Busch, Michael Cox, Bruce Daitch, Martha Gorjanc, Bernie Jackson, Dan Knechtges, Nanci Lewis, Danny and Georgina Louchiey, Victoria Morris, Alex Newell, Chris Roberts, Ryan Stana, Lynne Latham Slear, Ivan Williams, Peter and Kelly Bailey, and Sonya Schroeder.

The Broadway Dreams staff includes General Manager, RRR Creative / Ryan Ratelle; Company Manager, Samantha Schoenfeld; Directors of Engagement and Opportunity, Rachel Hoffman and Peter Dunn; Director of Development, Neal Radding and Joe Finocchario; Social Media Manager Rico LeBron and Marketing Consultant Hannah Hawkshaw. 

For more information on Broadway Dreams and its programs, please visit BroadwayDreams.org.