Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty to Be Feted at Broadway Dreams Gala; ANASTASIA Stars to Perform!

Broadway Dreams has announced that its annual Night of Dreams Gala, to be held on Monday, November 21, 2016, will honor Tony Award-winning lyricist and composer Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty with the inaugural Arts Advancement Award. Point Park University is the leading education sponsor of the event.

"Lynn and Stephen's work illuminates the most salient historic and current social justice issues and reminds Broadway Dreams students daily of the power of theatre not only to entertain but also to elucidate the shared human experience, cultivating understanding and instigating change," said Stafford Arima, Artistic Advisor of Broadway Dreams. "In this age of increasing culture wars, their shared artistic voice is perhaps more important than ever, and Broadway Dreams is proud to recognize their myriad accomplishments with the inaugural Arts Advancement Award."

"Point Park University is dedicated to educating the artists of the future," said University President Paul Hennigan. "We are delighted to sponsor Broadway Dreams in that shared vision for the young artists that they work with year-round."

Since its inception, Broadway Dreams has inspired more than 10,000 students and awarded over one million dollars in needs-based scholarships nationally in such cities as New York, Los Angeles, Aspen, Atlanta, Charlotte, Omaha, Park City, Philadelphia, and Sacramento - and internationally in Fortaleza, Brazil; Moscow, Russia; Toronto, Canada; and beyond. In doing so, a passionate and energized global community has grown, defined by the personal integrity, skilled craftsmanship, and joy that serve as the collective hallmark of a Broadway Dreams education. Broadway Dreams could not continue these efforts without the success of the annual Night of Dreams Gala, which also celebrates those who further the organization's mission.

Directed by Stafford Arima, the evening will include cocktails, dinner, and tribute performances honoring the recipients of the 2016 Arts Advancement Award.

Christy Altomare and Derek Klena will perform "In a Crowd of Thousands" from the much-anticipated new Ahrens / Flaherty musical, Anastasia, set to open on Broadway on April 24, 2017. Broadway stars and Broadway Dreams teaching artists Quentin Earl Darrington (CATS) and recording artist Morgan James (Godspell) will also perform.

A costume exhibit will be on display for the evening, featuring pieces from Ahrens and Flaherty's past and upcoming Broadway productions.

Sponsored in part by Point Park University, Holland America in association with RWS & Associates, and Bernstein, the Night of Dreams Gala will take place at The Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, Samuel B. & David Rose Building, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza (165 West 65th Street), New York, New York 10023.

Longtime collaborators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty are recipients of the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement, and were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2015. For Broadway's Ragtime, they won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards and received two Grammy nominations. They were also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes for the score of Twentieth Century Fox's animated feature Anastasia. They're thrilled to be bringing Anastasia to the stage with collaborator Terrence McNally. Selected theater credits include Once On This Island; Seussical; Rocky; Little Dancer; Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life; Lucky Stiff; the Broadway revival of Ragtime; and Lincoln Center Theater's Dessa Rose, A Man of No Importance, My Favorite Year and The Glorious Ones. Individually, Ms. Ahrens is an Emmy Award winner, a mainstay writer for Schoolhouse Rock, and wrote book and lyrics for Madison Square Garden's A Christmas Carol. Mr. Flaherty wrote the score for the new dance musical In Your Arms at The Old Globe, and incidental musical for Neil Simon's Broadway play Proposals. They are council members of the Dramatists Guild of America, and co- founded the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program for emerging writers. For more, visit www.ahrensandflaherty.com.

Broadway Dreams (Annette Tanner, Founder and President), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization established in 2006, provides youth and young adults of all socioeconomic backgrounds with performance training, life skills building, and mentorship opportunities from the entertainment industry's most distinguished talents. Broadway Dreams seeks to empower aspiring young artists through performing arts training, with a focus on the acting, voice, and dance disciplines. Program intensives are offered nationally and internationally throughout the year and are led by an exceptional faculty comprised of respected entertainment professionals. The organization's bespoke programs are tailored to student talents and interests and foster a supportive and collaborative learning environment, allowing for an organic introduction to the industry and its key decision makers - as well as an understanding of and respect for the depth and breadth of theatre history and tradition.

As one of the top programs of its kind in the nation, Point Park's Conservatory of Performing Arts combines real-world experience and rigorous training with internationally recognized master teachers, directors, producers, writers and choreographers. Located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, Point Park enrolls nearly 4,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs offered through its Conservatory, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and School of Communication. Its students represent 44 states and 42 countries. Visit PointPark.edu/News for the latest Point Park news.

For more information on Broadway Dreams, go to www.BroadwayDreams.org.