Peter Filichia to Host Amas Musical Theatre's 46th Anniversary Gala, 3/30

Peter Filichia, noted theatre journalist, author and President of the Theatre World Awards, will host the 46th Anniversary Gala for Amas Musical Theatre, New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968, on Monday, March 30th, 2015 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington & 3rd Avenues). Honorary Chair for the event is distinguished actor, director, and choreographer André De Shields.

"We are thrilled that Peter, one of our most knowledgeable and articulate men of the theatre, will M.C. this year's benefit," says Amas Artistic Producer Donna Trinkoff. "His immense love and passion for musical theatre is evident in all of his writings. He knew Rosetta and has been a great supporter of Amas' mission through the years. It will be wonderful evening with him at the helm."

The evening will kick off at 6pm with a champagne reception and silent auction. At 7pm "The Academy Teens," students of the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy will present a sneak peek of their upcoming spring musical production of Fame!, to be presented in May. Two-time Tony Award winner Vivian Reed will then offer "An Evening with Vivian Reed," a program of songs and stories from her illustrious career with William Foster McDaniel on piano. The evening will culminate with the presentations of "The Rosie Award" honoring Broadway leading men -- Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis (The Phantom of the Opera, The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, Les Miserables, The Little Mermaid) and musical director/arranger Danny Holgate (Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Eubie, Cookin' at the Cookery).

The award, commemorating the life and work of Amas Founder Rosetta LeNoire, is bestowed on individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary accomplishment and dedication in bringing our world more closely together through the performing arts.

Tickets are $500 and $250, plus a limited number of show-only $150 seats available, and can be purchased online at www.amasmusical.org, or by calling (212) 563-2565. The Amas auction will go live online on March 20th.

Amas Musical Theatre is New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas ("you love" in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of underserved young people in the New York area. In recent years, under the leadership of Artistic Producer Donna Trinkoff, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, including The Other Josh Cohen (Six 2013 Drama Desk Nominations including Outstanding Musical, 2013 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical, 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Nomination for Best New Musical); Red Eye of Love, Triassic Parq, The Countess of Storyville, Distant Thunder, Casanova, Marry Harry, Me and Miss Monroe, Aesop & Company, Signs of Life, Wanda's World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, From My Hometown, Zanna, Don't!, 4 Guys Named Jose and Stormy Weather: Reimagining Lena Horne. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools. Peter Filichia has spent most of the last 45 years writing about theater as a critic for a daily newspaper (The Star-Ledger in Newark, NJ), a magazine (TheaterWeek) and as a weekly Internet columnist (Playbill, Theatermania, Music Theatre International, Broadway Direct and Masterworks Broadway). He is the author of Let's Put on a Musical; The Biggest Hit of the Season/The Biggest Flop of the Season; Broadway Musicals' Most Valuable Players; Strippers, Showgirls, and Sharks and The Great Parade: The Remarkable 1963-64 Broadway Season, which will be published on April 7, 2015. His play Games, about bullying, has seen high school productions in all 50 states and six foreign countries. His play, Adam's Gifts: A New Christmas Carol was a finalist for a Terrence McNally Award. He has been president of the Drama Desk Awards and holds that post now with the Theatre World Awards. He has served as an assessor for the National Endowment for the Arts, and for the past 20 years has been both the musical theater judge for the ASCAP Awards program and the critic-in-residence for the University of Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music.