McDonald, Cerveris, Etc. Set for NYCLU 'Freedom' Benefit

Tony Award-winners Audra McDonald (Ragtime, Carousel), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd, Assassins), and Cady Huffman (The Producers) will be among the many Broadway stars participating in "Broadway Stands up for Freedom!," a benefit show to support the youth programs of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The concert will take place on Monday, July 24th at 7:30 pm at the Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.).

Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner will co-chair the event with NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. Other performers scheduled to appear include Brenda Braxton (Chicago, Smokey Joe's Café), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Spelling Bee), Richard Easton (The Invention of Love, Henry IV), Kevin Chamberlin (Chicago, Dirty Blonde), Leah Hocking (Mamma Mia!), Cheyenne Jackson (All Shook Up), Jenn Gambatese (Disney's Tarzan), Barrett Foa (Spelling Bee, Avenue Q), Todd Buonopane (Spelling Bee), Thos Shipley (Miss Saigon), Sara Kramer (Mamma Mia!), Amanda Green (upcoming High Fidelity), and founding performers Liana Stampur and Erich Bergen.

Seth Rudetsky (Seth's Broadway Chatterbox) will be musical director, and Daniel Goldstein (Indoor/Outdoor, But I'm a Cheerleader: The Musical) will direct.

T"he New York Civil Liberties Union has been at the forefront of challenges to recent abuses of power, from torture to government secrecy to spying on innocent Americans.  The NYCLU is also currently working to oppose overly-aggressive policing in city public schools. As part of that campaign the organization is evaluating scores of entries--poetry, artwork, music and essays--that young people have submitted to the organization's annual Student Expression contest, which is focusing this year on the effects of policing in schools. The winning entries will be read by special surprise guests throughout the performance," according to press notes.

The benefit concert is now in its third year. It was founded by performers Liana Stampur and Erich Bergen as a way to put into action their personal dedication to issues of reproductive rights and other civil liberties issues relevant to them as young people.

Regular tickets are $50, and priority seats will sell for $100. Sponsorship packages start at $250. There are also $10 discount tickets for students, members, low-income and senior citizens. To purchase tickets, visit www.nyclu.org or contact Jaclyn Stoll at 212-607-3343 or jstoll@nyclu.org.