Lesli Margherita, HAMILTON's Bryan Terrell Clark, and Many More Join Broadway Belts for PFF Concert

Hosted by the one-and-only actress/comedienne Julie Halston, BROADWAY BELTS FOR PFF! will celebrate its eighth annual fundraiser, featuring Broadway stars in an evening of music and comedy benefitting the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This year's event will take place on Monday, March 12 at 5:30 pm at the Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street) in New York City. A variety of sponsorship opportunities and tickets are now available and can be purchased at www.BroadwayBeltsForPFF.org.

An annual sold-out event that is an exclusive New York musical theater experience, BROADWAY BELTS FOR PFF! was created in 2010 by one of the PFF's leading advocates nationwide, the beloved Broadway actress and comedienne Julie Halston (Ken Ludwig's Murder on the Orient Express, Hairspray, Gypsy, You Can't Take It With You).

This year's celebration will feature a special appearance by New York Yankees legend and Latin Grammy nominee, Bernie Williams, whose father passed away from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Also performing will be Bryan Terrell Clark (Broadway: Hamilton, Motown), Robert Creighton (Broadway's Frozen, Cagney), Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita (Broadway's Matilda, Dames at Sea) and many more to be announced.

Broadway's Julie Halston, one of New York's preeminent emcees, will preside over the event, adding her own unique comedy stylings. The evening raises money to fight pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a fatal , progressive disease involving scarring in the lungs. PF affects 200,000 Americans and causes more than 40,000 deaths annually. Fifty-thousand new cases are diagnosed each year.With no known cure, many live only two or three years after diagnosis..

This one-of-a-kind evening of Broadway stars performing some of their favorite songs began as a tribute to Michael Kuchwara, the beloved Broadway theater critic of the Associated Press, who died suddenly of pulmonary fibrosis in 2010. Coincidentally, Ms. Halston's husband, the venerated newscaster Ralph Howard, himself was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis a short time later, eventually receiving a lung transplant. People of note who have died from different forms of PF include Robert Goulet, Marlon Brando, Evil Knievel, Peter Benchley, John Palmer, James Doohan and numerous First Responders exposed at the World Trade Center on September 11.

To date, BROADWAY BELTS FOR PFF! has raised nearly $750,000 for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and is the largest single fundraiser for the organization, based in Chicago.

"Broadway Belts for PFF! showcases the very best of Broadway talent as well as the incredible dedication and support of our committed volunteers and advocates who make this celebration possible," said William T. Schmidt, President and CEO of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. "We are deeply grateful to Julie Halston and her extraordinary team for creating an unforgettable experience that will raise funds for the Foundation's important work to help individuals living with pulmonary fibrosis."

"Raising Awareness and finding a cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis has become my life's passion, as I've seen first-hand the devastation it can cause to families. This is the eighth year of BROADWAY BELTS FOR PFF! and the talent and generosity of the Broadway community continues to amaze me. I am so lucky to be a part of this most supportive and giving network. We're still putting the show together and will have more announcements soon, but get tickets now. It is always a star-studded, fantastic evening!." says Ms. Halston.

Recently seen in Ken Ludwig's Murder on the Orient Express, Ms. Halston has appeared in many Broadway shows including Hairspray, Gypsy and a memorable turn in the recent revival of You Can't Take It With You starring James Earl Jones.

BROADWAY BELTS FOR PFF! is directed by Carl Andress (The Divine Sister) with Christopher McGovern (Cagney) as Musical Director and Ed Windels as Music Coordinator. The benefit is produced for the eighth straight year by D. Michael Dvorchak, Sue Frost (Memphis, Come From Away), Julie Halston and Ed Windels.

For more information about the event or for current sponsorship opportunities, visit PulmonaryFibrosis.org

The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is to mobilize people and resources to provide access to high quality care and lead research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. For more information, visit PulmonaryFibrosis.org.

For more information about joining Broadway's best in supporting those with Pulmonary Fibrosis through a sponsorship or donation, please click HERE.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy