Leslie Odom, Jr., Amber Iman & More to Perform at Prospect Theater Company Spring Gala

Prospect Theater Company has announced the performers for their annual Spring Gala, being held Monday, May 1st at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street): Tony and Grammy Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton), Don Darryl Rivera (Aladdin), Amber Iman (Goddess, Lempicka), Nasia Thomas (Six), and Diana Huey (The Little Mermaid).

As previously announced, Prospect Theater Company's Spring Gala will honor four extraordinary members of the theatre community with the second annual Muse Awards: legendary actor and activist George Takei; educator and Tony & Grammy Award nominee Michael McElroy, Founder of Broadway Inspirational Voices; theater education leader Jim Hoare, Executive Vice President of Theatrical Rights Worldwide; and composer, lyricist, music producer, and activist Georgia Stitt.

The Spring Gala will be co-hosted by Ali Ewoldt (The Phantom of the Opera, Gold Mountain) and Jelani Remy (Back to the Future, The Lion King); and will feature presenters including Tony & Grammy Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton), Telly Leung (Aladdin, Allegiance), Glen Pannell, and Molly Smith (Artistic Director of Tony Award-winning Arena Stage).

The evening will include cocktails, dinner, and entertainment from special guests in celebration of this year's Muse Award recipients.

Prospect's Board Gala Committee Co-Chairs include Jane Abramson, Tira Harpaz, and Jason Ma.



Additional performers for the event will be announced shortly.

To reserve tickets for the Spring Gala, please visit ProspectTheater.org.



PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES


Diana Huey

(Performer) is honored to help Prospect Theater Company celebrate the great George Takei! She was last seen with Prospect in Honor and Scheherazade. Diana is a Helen Hayes winner for her work as Kim in Miss Saigon and a Gregory Award winner for her portrayal as Ariel in the National Tour of Disney's The Little Mermaid, where she made international headlines for facing racism over her casting as an Asian American actor. She has performed around the world and can be seen next in the Off-Broadway debut of Millennials Are Killing Musicals this May at Theatre 71.

Amber Iman

(Performer) is a performer, filmmaker, and activist. Amber made history as the first woman and person of color to perform on Broadway after the pandemic shut down, as part of the NY PopsUp festival, which welcomed audiences back into Broadway theatres. Amber is one of the most sought-after theatre artists and vocalists working today. She debuted on Broadway as the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, in Soul Doctor, earning rave reviews and a Clive Barnes Award nomination. Since, she has been seen in George C. Wolfe's Shuffle Along beside theatre luminaries Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, etc.; she was seen in the National Tour of the megahit musical, Hamilton, and she has performed Off Broadway and regionally with New York Theatre Workshop, New World Stages, Two River Theater, the Kennedy Center, and many more, earning Helen Hayes and IRENE Award nominations, and winning the Ovation Award and the prestigious Emery Battis Award for Acting Excellence from Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. On TV, Amber has been seen on "High Maintenance" for HBO, and her self-produced short film Steve, has been a critical darling at film festivals across the country. Last summer, Amber starred in two highly anticipated Broadway-bound musicals: Lempicka at La Jolla Playhouse and Goddess at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. As an activist, Amber is the proud Co-Founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Black Women on Broadway. In 2021, Amber was honored with a Tony Award for her work with BAC.

Nasia Thomas

(Performer). Broadway: Six (Anna of Cleves), Caroline or Change Revival (Radio One), Ain't Too Proud (Tammi Terrell and others), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Little Eva). Off-Broadway (Out of the Box): The Last Five Years (Cathy). Regional: Beauty and the Beast (TUTS), Smokey Joe's Cafe (MUNY), The Color Purple (MUNY), Hairspray (MUNY). TV: "The 4400" (Kenya), "That Damn Michael Che" (Kim), BFA MT Elon '15, The Governors School for the Arts '11. Thankful to her family, friends, teachers, mentors, DGRW for the endless sacrifices, support, and love.


LESLIE ODOM, JR.

(Performer) is a multifaceted Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor. With a career that spans all performance genres, Odom has received recognition for his excellence and achievements in Broadway, television, film, and music. He can currently be seen in Rian Johnson's critically acclaimed Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, streaming worldwide on Netflix. Odom is currently in production on the highly-anticipated sequel to the original iconic film The Exorcist. The film is scheduled to be released in October 2023. In 2020, Odom starred as legendary singer Sam Cooke in the award-winning Amazon film adaptation of One Night in Miami..., directed by Regina King. His portrayal of the soul icon and musical performance of original song "Speak Now" was met with widespread praise and critical acclaim, earning him multiple awards and nominations. He also starred in The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to David Chase's award-winning HBO series "The Sopranos", released in October 2021. Well known for his breakout role as 'Aaron Burr' in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Odom hosted "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!" on CBS in September 2021 (2022 Emmy nomination). Additional film and television credits include Apple TV+'s "Central Park" (2020 Emmy nomination), Hamilton on Disney+ (2021 Emmy nomination), "Abbott Elementary", "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder", "Love in the Time of Corona", Harriet, and many more. He is a BMG recording artist and has released four full-length albums. Co-written with Nicolette Robinson, Odom's first children's book, I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know, was published by Feiwel & Friends on March 28, 2023.

Don Darryl Rivera

(Performer) originated the role of Iago in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway and has played the role now over 3100 times! He has also played Iago on the First North American Tour and West End. Don Darryl has performed at The Guthrie, Shakespeare Theatre Co, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Children's Theatre Company, and Seattle Children's Theatre. Don Darryl played Feste in a production of Illyria at Taproot Theatre in Seattle where he was nominated for a Gregory Award! Other credits include: Season 3 of "Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu), "Let The Right One In" (Showtime), "Hazbin Hotel", and "Helluva Boss".

ABOUT PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY

Prospect Theater Company is dedicated to fostering and showcasing today's new voices shaping tomorrow's musicals. Over two decades, the company has premiered more than 35 musicals in New York City, in addition to new plays and numerous re-inventions of classic works. Reflecting its investment in the future of the field, Prospect leads a variety of developmental initiatives: including an annual Musical Theater Lab for emerging writers, and the IGNITE Series of new musical theater in concert. In 2020, Prospect launched the VISION Series of original music-theater works on film, created for online streaming. In recognition of its enterprising and risk-taking new musical theater, the company has received an OBIE Award grant, and its role as a community anchor for emerging artists that strengthens the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theater was honored by the American Theatre Wing.