Norm Lewis, Tonya Pinkins and More Set for LaGuardia Arts High School's Ben Vereen Tribute Tonight

Luminaries of stage and screen will come together tonight, May 20th at LaGuardia Arts High School in Manhattan to pay tribute to treasured alumnus and show biz icon Ben Vereen (Pippin, Roots, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fosse, Jelly's Last Jam, Sweet Charity, Hair, Wicked). This evening of song and dance will include such notables as:

Amanda Brown: Finalist on NBC's The Voice, alumna
Kathy Fitzgerald: The Producers, 9 to 5, Wicked, NBC's Smash, LaGuardia parent
Ted Louis Levy: Tony nominee for Jelly's Last Jam, Emmy-winning performer
Norm Lewis: Tony nominee for Porgy and Bess, ABC's Scandal
Priscilla Lopez: Tony winner for A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, original cast member of A Chorus Line, alumna
Julia Murney: Drama Desk nominee for The Wild Party, Wicked, alumna
Tonya Pinkins: Tony winner for Jelly's Last Jam, Obie & Drama Desk winner
John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey: Grammy-nominated jazz legends, LaGuardia parents Daphne Rubin-Vega: Tony nominee for Rent and Anna in the Tropics, Smash, alumna Ruben Santiago-Hudson: Tony winner for Seven Guitars, Emmy nominee, LaGuardia parent Stephen Schwartz, Tony-nominated composer/lyricist of Godspell, Pippin, Wicked and Working, multiple Academy Awards, Grammys, Drama Desk Awards and a Golden Globe. Leslie Uggams: Tony winner for Hallelujah, Baby!, Emmy nominee for Roots
Josh Young: Tony-nominated star of last year's revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The "FAME" school enjoys an international reputation as the first and foremost public high school dedicated to nurturing students gifted in the arts. LaGuardia students receive pre-conservatory training in Art, Dance, Drama, Instrumental and Vocal Music, and Technical Theater. As a specialized high school, LaGuardia accepts approximately 600 students per year from over 10,000 applicants. LaGuardia Arts alumni roster reads like a Who's Who of the Arts including Jennifer Aniston, Adrien Brody, Omar Epps, Adrian Grenier, and Nicki Minaj. The LaGuardia Arts Gala is the school's premier fundraiser. For more information and to purchase tickets or sponsorships, visit www.laguardiahs.org/gala.

The concert will take place tonight, May 20th, 7:30 p.m., LaGuardia Arts Concert Hall, 100 Amsterdam Avenue, NYC. Tickets: $50 to $250 dollars (including Gala Celebration).

Conceived and directed by Kim Bruno; musical direction by Larry Pressgrove & Michael Rafter; choreography by Ben Hartley. Produced in association with Larry Hirschhorn.