One Night Only Concert of WHEN PIGS FLY to Benefit the Actors Fund

The Actors Fund announced today a one night benefit concert of last year's planned off-Broadway revival of When Pigs Fly, that never actually got to play for an audience. The concert, which will reunite the cast members and creative team for one night only, is set for Monday, April 9th.

The benefit will feature originally announced cast members Jordan Ahnquist, Taylor Crousore, Jacob Huffman, Brian Charles Rooney, and Frank Viveros. Mark Waldrop (Divine Miss Millennium tour, NEWSical) will direct, with choreography by Denis Jones and featuring costumes by Bob Mackie. This one-night-only benefit will raise funds for The Actors Fund, the human services organization that helps everyone in entertainment and performing arts. The event will take place at the Gerald Lynch Theatre at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street).

Conceived by Waldrop and the late costume designer and playwright Howard Crabtree, with music by Dick Gallagher and lyrics by Waldrop, When Pigs Fly is a raucous, joyful, and unapologetically outrageous romp "with zip, zing, and plenty of pizzazz!" An Off-Broadway revival was scheduled to play Stage42 in October 2017, but was cancelled due to a shortfall in the show's investment.

When Howard - a mad genius costume designer with Ziegfeld-sized ambitions - flunks his high-school vocational test (apparently "Broadway superstar" isn't a multiple-choice option for a five-year plan), he puts everything he has into his one true dream: putting on a show! With a song in his heart and some help from his friends, Howard's journey from non-starter to superstar is the larger-than-life, side-splitting party you've been waiting for!

Loaded with laughs and brimming with heart, Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly is a celebration of being bold, dreaming big, and wearing your heart on your fabulously-sequined sleeve.

For tickets ($250, $150, 100, $75 and $50) visit www.actorsfund.org/WhenPigsFly or call 212.221.7300 ext. 133. For Sponsorship and VIP package opportunities, contact Douglas Ramirez at917.281.5921 or dramirez@actorsfund.org.

BIOGRAPHIES

Howard Crabtree. Dancer/performer/designer Howard Crabtree gleefully scattered invention, outrageousness and wit over everything he touched. His revue Howard Crabtree's Whoop-Dee-Doo! (cast album RCA) brought him a Drama Desk Award for Best Revue and for costumes. With director/lyricist Mark Waldrop he created Whatnot (Richard Rodgers Production Award for New Musicals), and Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly, lauded with awards from Drama Desk (Musical Revue) and Outer Critics (Outstanding Musical, Costumes), and a special Obie. Howard also designed for ballet, The Metropolitan opera, and two presidential inaugural galas. He died in 1996 at 41, having completed work on the original production of When Pigs Fly.

Mark Waldrop (Director/Book/Lyrics) helmed the original Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly (Drama Desk Award, Outer Critic's Circle Award, OBIE). He went on to direct and provide special material for Bette Midler's Divine Miss Millennium tour and Bea Arthur on Broadway (Tony nomination, Special Theatrical Event.) Off-Broadway: Pete'n'Keely, NEWSical, Not That Jewish, Game Show, John Epperson's My Deah, Til Divorce Do Us Part, Inventing Avi, and Whatnot (Richard Rodgers Production Award.) Many classic musicals at NJ's Papermill Playhouse, Seattle's 5th Avenue, the St. Louis MUNY, Houston's TUTS, and MD's Olney Theater Center. Concert and cabaret appearances for Sutton Foster, Brooke Shields, John Lloyd Young, and many others. Longtime writer/lyricist of Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular.

Jordan Ahnquist is excited to put some pigs in flight with this talented team. Jordan recently completed the Off Broadway run of Shear Madness. Regionally Jordan has worked with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Florida Studio Theatre, Speakeasy Stage Company, Lyric Stage, New Repertory Theatre, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, and The Gamm, among others. Some favorite credits include Hamlet, Big River, Heartbreak House, Mr g, [title of show], Urinetown, and Tartuffe. Jordan holds a BA in theatre from Muhlenberg College.www.jordanahnquist.com

Taylor Crousore is very excited to be a part of this gem of a revival, When Pigs Fly! His Off-Broadway credits include The Blueprint Specials at the Public's UTR Festival, Forbidden Broadway: Comes Out Swinging!, and NEWSical The Musical! Regional credits include Beauty and the Beast (Gaston), Peter Pan (Captain Hook), The Music Man (Harold Hill), and Angels in America (Joe Pitt). TV: "America's Got Talent." Special thanks to EVERYONE who was able to make this show fly again.

Jacob Hoffman is humbled and grateful to bring Pigs to the stage with such an important organization as the Actors Fund. New York credits include productions at The Vineyard Theatre, York Theatre, New Dramatists, Connelly Theatre, Musicals Tonight!, NYMF and NYFringe. Regional: Pioneer Theatre Co., Utah Shakespearean Festival, Bay Street Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Arkansas Rep., and Porchlight Music Theatre. He is a proud AEA member who really loves his job. Love and squeezes to Mark, Denis, Ed and the whole When Pigs Fly family, Erik, mom, the gang over at Avalon, and Mary Beth. www.jakebuddy.com.

Brian Charles Rooney made his Broadway debut as Lucy Brown in "The Threepenny Opera" (Roundabout Theatre Co.) and won The Kurt Weill Foundation's Lys Symonette Award for Dramatic Excellence. He won the CT Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical as Candy Darling in "POP!" (Yale Repertory), and was recently lauded by The New York Times for his performance as Dionne Salon in the hit Off-Broadway musical, "Bedbugs!!!" He has won three NYMF Outstanding Performance Awards: "Bedbugs!!!," "Bayonets of Angst," and "Miss Blanche Tells It All." He appeared with Kristin Chenoweth at Lincoln Center in Andrew Lippa's "I Am Harvey Milk," & in the Carnegie Hall Concert Production of "Guys & Dolls," starring Nathan Lane & Megan Mullally.www.briancharlesrooney.com

Frank Viveros is thrilled to share in this night with these incredible humans. Favorites include: UBALDO PIANGI- 25th Anniversary The Phantom of the Opera tour; AGWE- Once on this island;ADOLFO PIRELLI- Sweeney Todd; KEN- Ain't Misbehavin; BLOAT- Finding Nemo, The Musical. Gracias to Binder, the Creatives, Family, Friends and Matt! @frrankly

About The Actors Fund

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services. Visit www.actorsfund.org.