Lillias White to be Honored at Amas Musical Theatre Virtual Benefit

Amas Musical Theatre will celebrate its 52nd Anniversary with Amas - You Love!: A Heart to Heart Virtual Celebration on Monday, May 10, 2021. Honorary Chair for the event is Grammy Award-winning Latin recording artist and activist Rubén Blades. "One Day at a Time" (Netflix) actress Justina Machado will be Mistress of Ceremonies. The evening will be streamed online at www.amasmusical.org.

The gala evening will begin at 6pm and will include performances from four (4) Amas Musicals: 4 Guys Named Jose...and una mujer named María!, Distant Thunder, MĀYĀ, and Hip Hop Cinderella (featuring the Academy Teens), and an original Spoken Word piece about Amas founder Rosetta LeNoire, composed and written by Rona Siddiqui. Casting will be announced at a later date.

"The Rosie Award is given every year to an outstanding individual - or individuals - who are leaders in their fields. Our Honoree this year exemplifies the spirit of Rosetta LeNoire, through her stellar work, as well as for being a champion of a diverse and inclusive society. We are very proud to be honoring Lillias White, a cherished member of the Amas family" says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Artistic Producer.

Tickets are $500aoe? (Platinum), $250aoe? (Gold) and $125 (Silver) and can be purchased online at www.amasmusical.org, or by calling (212) 563-2565. aoe?Ticket buyers at this level will receive party packages at their home to enjoy the evening of the benefit. In addition, a Benefit Journal will be published online. All proceeds of the evening will benefit Amas education and theatre programs. More information is at www.amasmusical.org.

This Virtual Benefit evening is being presented in accordance with the Theatre Authority.

Since 1968, Amas has been a force in New York City, developing and producing new American musicals, a pioneer in non-traditional casting and multiculturalism, and a forerunner of theatre arts education for underserved young people.

Amas Musical Theatre was the inspiration of a pioneering figure in the American theatre, Rosetta LeNoire (1911-2002), an African-American actress who began her career as a child performer "planted" in audiences by her godfather, the legendary Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Rosetta founded Amas (Latin for "you love"), a non-profit performing arts organization, to combat racism, proclaiming "We are all flowers in God's glorious bouquet, every one of us, every color!"

From the beginning, Amas has sought to bring together people of all backgrounds, colors, and ethnic origin through musical theatre, and education programs have always been integral to the mission. Amas became the first voice of multiculturalism in theatre, and America's founding exponent of diversity, long before the term became a corporate mantra. Rosetta insisted on multi-ethnic casting in every show she produced and, in a few seasons, Amas emerged as an influential new force in the theatre, especially after she conceived the groundbreaking Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1973, which became a Broadway and touring sensation.

In 1999, President Clinton awarded the National Medal of Arts to Rosetta as "an individual deserving of special recognition by reason of her outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States." Actors' Equity Association acknowledges Rosetta and Amas' contribution to the American theatre by annually bestowing the Rosetta LeNoire Award on producers and theatre companies who exemplify her commitment to multicultural production and casting. Following in Rosie's footsteps, for the past 27 years, artistic producer Donna Trinkoff has continued to engrave the unique Amas trademark with musical theatre works that embrace different cultural perspectives while reaching out to underserved audiences.

Countless dramatists, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and actors have graced Amas stages over the past 51 years, including Maya Angelou, Micki Grant, Galt McDermott, Sheldon Epps, John Rando, Tom O'Horgan, Ossie Davis, Billie Allen, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Andre deShields, Leslie Uggams, Phylicia Rashad, Brad Oscar and Christopher Jackson. The contributions of these alumni, as well as the dedication of the talented roster of early career artists, speaks to the unique and important work of Amas - a laboratory for artists who share its vision of cultural equity and tell timeless stories that resonate deeply.

"We are enormously proud of our rich legacy over the past fifty years" says Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer. "We will continue to honor Rosie's vision as we look to the next 50 years."