Michael Mayer to Be Honored at Vineyard Theatre Gala

Vineyard Theatre's Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern and Managing Director Suzanne Appel announce that the 2018 Gala Fundraiser will celebrate Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer and the award-winning theatre company's 35th Anniversary. The annual Gala Fundraiser will take place on Monday, May 14, 2018, beginning at 6:30pm at Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). Cody Lassen is the 35th Anniversary Gala Chair and Audible, Inc. is the lead corporate sponsor of the event.

Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern said, "Michael Mayer has directed some of the most exciting and original shows of the past decades, from SIDE MAN to SPRING AWAKENING to THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE to AMERICAN IDIOT to the recent revival of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. He is an artist of great vision, artistry, intelligence, and versatility, working in theatre, opera, film, and television, who has helped to expand the boundaries of the musical theatre form. Michael has been an important part of The Vineyard family for nearly twenty-five years, collaborating with us on half a dozen plays and musicals, most recently on the world-premiere musical BROOKLYNITE. We are thrilled to celebrate Michael's incredible contributions to the American theatre and to our company on the occasion of our 35th Anniversary."

The Vineyard's Gala event will include a cocktail hour and auction, dinner, and a 35th Anniversary performance featuring artists of stage and screen, to be announced. Recent Vineyard galas have included Liza Minnelli, Bebe Neuwirth, Brandon Victor Dixon, Danielle Brooks, Savion Glover, Betty Buckley, and more. Tables are $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, and individual tickets are $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000. Tickets can be purchased by emailing gala@vineyardtheatre.org or calling 212-353-3366, ext. 1227. Funds raised will benefit The Vineyard's 2017-2018 Season.

Michael Mayer is an award-winning director whose work spans from theatre and opera to film and television. Vineyard productions include BROOKLYNITE (also co-book writer), TRUE HISTORY & REAL ADVENTURES, ANTIGONE IN NEW YORK, and AMERICA DREAMING. Upcoming work includes HEAD OVER HEELS, the new musical featuring hit songs of the Go-Go's coming to the Curran this spring and Broadway this summer, and the Sony Classics feature film The Seagull, coming this May and starring Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Moss and Brian Dennehy. Recent work includes Michael Moore's THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER at the Belasco, the world premiere of Nico Muhly's opera MARNIE at London's ENO, the U.K. the record-breaking West End run of FUNNY GIRL and UK tour, the national tour of the Tony Award-winning revival of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, AS YOU LIKE IT for Toho Theatre Creation in Tokyo, and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE at the Roundabout. Broadway Credits: SPRING AWAKENING (Tony Award/Best Musical and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Director; also London, National Tour, Vienna, Tokyo, and Seoul productions); AMERICAN IDIOT (also co-author, Drama Desk Award for Best Director; also US, UK and Asia tours); SIDE MAN (Tony Award/Best Play also London and Kennedy Center Productions); THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Tony Award/Best Musical also London and National Tour); A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (Tony Award/Best Revival); EVERYDAY RAPTURE; YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN; and TRIUMPH OF LOVE. Off-Broadway credits include: WHORL INSIDE A LOOP (with Dick Scanlan, Second Stage) and 10 MILLION MILES (Atlantic). Feature films: A Home at the End of the World and Flicka. Television: "Smash" (Pilot) for NBC and two seasons of "Alpha House" for Amazon. Metropolitan Opera: a celebrated new production of RIGOLETTO. He serves on the Board of New York Stage and Film.

Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre company dedicated to developing and producing bold new plays and musicals by both emerging and established artists. The theater is committed to creating an artistic home for daring and diverse artists and to nurturing their unique voices. For over 35 years the company has sought to produce work that challenges all of us to see ourselves and our world in new ways, and that pushes the boundaries of what theatre can be and do.

The Vineyard has consistently premiered provocative, groundbreaking works; the first show of the company's 35th Anniversary Season, the world-premiere of David Cale's HARRY CLARKE, directed by Leigh Silverman and starring Billy Crudup, played a sold-out extended run and has been released this month as an audio play on Audible. The Vineyard has also premiered Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman's INDECENT, which transferred to Broadway last season, winning two Tony Awards; Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Pulitzer Prize finalist GLORIA; DOT by Colman Domingo; Nicky Silver's THE LYONS; Marx, Lopez and Whitty's Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q; Kander and Ebb's THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS; Bell and Bowen's [title of show]; Paula Vogel's HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (1998 Pulitzer Prize); Edward Albee's THREE TALL WOMEN (1994 Pulitzer Prize); Tarell Alvin McCraney's WIG OUT!; Becky Mode's FULLY COMMITTED; Jenny Schwartz' GOD'S EAR; Will Eno's MIDDLETOWN; and many more. The Vineyard's productions have been honored with two Pulitzer Prizes, five Tony Awards, and numerous Drama Desk, Obie, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel awards.

Jordan Harrison's THE AMATEURS, directed by Oliver Butler, begins previews on February 8 and continues through March 18. The Vineyard's 2017-2018 Season continues later this spring with THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman with a book by David Thompson and music by John Kander.

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Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos