Miriam Shor, Sheldon Harnick, Jack O'Brien & More Join MAIZE & BLUE ON BROADWAY Benefit Lineup

Maize & Blue on Broadway is a one-night-only benefit concert on May 16, 2016 at 7PM at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street) to celebrate the University of Michigan and its renowned Musical Theatre Department, as well as honor its longtime chair, Brent Wagner, who is retiring in May after 32 years of being the department's heart and soul.

The concert will mark the inaugural fundraising event for the Michigan Musical Theatre Ambassador Endowment Fund ("MMTAEF") and 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales of Maize & Blue on Broadway will go directly to the Fund.

Maize & Blue on Broadway is produced by a committee of Michigan musical theatre alumni including Tony-Award winner Matthew Rego.

Many of the alumni who have made a career in the American theatre will be performing in Maize & Blue on Broadway, including Tony Award nominees Gavin Creel, Hunter Foster, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Drama Desk nominees Alexander Gemignani, and Daniel Reichard and many more celebrated Michigan musical theatre alumni including Barrett Foa, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Jenni Barber, Todd Buonopane, David Burtka, Whitney Bashor, Nick Blaemire, Doug LaBreque and Brynn O'Malley, with special appearances by Sheldon Harnick, Jack O'Brien and Tony Award nominee Erin Dilly.

The concert will include material from the musical theatre canon including Rent, Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy, Spring Awakening, Urinetown, American Idiot, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George and songs from some of Michigan's Award-winning composers including Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Andrew Lippa (Big Fish) and a new song from Tony Award nominees Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and many more. Direction, Choreography and Musical Direction will be provided by Linda Goodrich, Josh Rhodes, Ben Whitely and more. (Performers and program subject to change.)

This Michigan Musical Theatre Ambassador Endowment Fund ("MMTAEF") was created by the department's alumni to provide a meaningful, ongoing source of financial support for the growing needs of this thriving program, and will enhance the educational experience of each University of Michigan musical theatre student. The MMTAEF's inaugural endeavor will be to create the Brent Wagner Speaker Series, an annual series that will bring the industry's top talent, contributors and influencers directly to campus to teach and present master classes for the students. The Speaker Series will protect Brent's legacy of instilling an appreciation for the study of musical theatre history, while simultaneously providing direct access to those brilliant minds within the industry that are currently shaping the future of the art form. The funds generated by the MMTAEF will also go to support other MT departmental needs including production resources, facility expansion, curriculum development, faculty continuing education, and enrichment and advancement of technological capabilities. 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales of Maize & Blue on Broadway go directly to the MMTEAF so that the Department of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan can continue to lead the way in developing the great artists of the future.

During Brent Wagner's tenure, many musical theatre luminaries have been guests of the program, including Cy Coleman, Barbara Cook, Sheldon Harnick, Gene Kelly, Mark Lamos, James Lapine, Patti LuPone, Richard Maltby, Jr., Audra McDonald, Maureen McGovern, Donna McKechnie, Alan Menken, Jack O'Brien, Debbie Reynolds, and Susan Stroman.

Founded in 1880, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance is one of the finest performing arts schools in the United States. Encompassing programs in dance, music, musical theatre, and theatre, it is consistently ranked among the top performing arts schools in the country when compared with performance-oriented conservatories or with prestigious academic departments of music. The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance educates the artists, scholars, educators and entrepreneurs of the future. Students are prepared with expert skills, instilled with passionate enthusiasm, and emboldened to challenge and inspire the world through the power of the performing arts.

Tickets ON SALE NOW. For tickets, visit www.MMTAEF.com, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, or go to the Ticketmaster link http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/03005071979F1969.

Photo by Jennifer Broski