Philhallmonic Society to Perform for REACH THE WORLD Dinner, 2/9

The Philhallmonic Society will perform at Reach the World's 2011 Benefit Dinner at The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, February 9, 2011.  With the motto, "we sing so others can soar," The Philhallmonic Society is a unique organization under the leadership of international Broadway composer, conductor and producer Phil Hall, and is staged by Broadway dancer and choreographer Mark Santoro.  www.thephilhallmonicsociety.org.

Hailed by cabaret superstar KT Sullivan as "Sex in the City meets Glee," The Philhallmonic Society members are Broadway, classical and cabaret singers who contribute their talents to help improve the lives of others. The mission of The Philhallmonic Society is to help raise money and awareness for other nonprofit organizations. For over the past year, these multi-talented ladies have been and helping organizations raise money for such causes as  free after school programs for children in under privileged communities and building new homes and schools for needy communities around the world, as well as performing for various charitable organizations from The 92nd Street Y to The Actors Fund Home to The Salvation Army residence.The Philhallmonic Society will entertain the Reach the World 2011 Benefit Dinner attendees with songs and comedic skits that evoke the mission of Reach the World. The program features Broadway melodies, including "There's No Cure Like Travel" (words and music by Cole Porter) to "I Am Easily Assimilated" (words and music by Leonard Bernstein).

There will also be a special solo performance by seven year old Reach the World participant Kika Kovaleski, and a guest appearance by guitarist and recording artist Peter Calo, hailed by The Boston Globe as a "master musician."

The mission of Reach the World is to connect volunteer world travelers with young students in disadvantaged public schools.  RTW travelers are matched 1-to-1 with classrooms for a semester or an academic year.  Through a highly structured, Standards-based program of web-based journalism, videoconferencing and collaborative project-making, students go on virtual journeys with their correspondents and expand their worldview in the process.  RTW also provides a curriculum called GeoGames, which teaches core geographic literacy.

Most of Reach the World's travelers are studying abroad as Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars, a competitive U.S. State Department program that provides college students with need-based scholarships to study abroad.  Others are independently working, living or exploring abroad.
           
Phil Hall for the better part of his career has been a conductor and musical director. He composed the score for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (Paper Mill Playhouse, Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, Kansas City Starlight Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre). He vocally arranged SophisticatEd Ellington, at Carnegie Hall for Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops. His arrangements have been published by Warner Brothers' Music and others, and broadcast on national television. On Broadway, he conducted "Play Me A Country Song" and was associate conductor for the Broadway revival of "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury. Phil has been a conductor/musical director, at The Kennedy Center, St. Louis MUNY, Michigan Opera Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, Houston's Theatre Under The Stars, Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, and Kansas City Starlight Theatre in projects as varied as the Yeston/Kopit "Phantom"; "Side By Side By Sondheim"; "Sayonara"; "The Wizard of Oz"; "The Merry Widow"; "42nd Street" and "The Desert Song". He appeared in "Show Boat", which aired on PBS' Great Performances series. He appeared in the Mira Sorvino-produced, Griffin Dunne-directed film, "Lisa Picard Is Famous". Phil has worked with Lily Tomlin, Tommy Tune, Nanette Fabray, Phyllis Diller, Nancy Marchand, Madeline Kahn, Judy Kaye, Donna McKechnie, Gregory Hines, Nancy Dussault, and Teri Hatcher, to name a few.
           
The Philhallmonic Society plans to publish a book in 2011 that shares each singer's individual story, including why each is so passionate about singing and sharing many of their personal struggles.  For example, one singer was born seriously hearing impaired.  She is deaf in one ear and only has 70 percent of her hearing in the other ear.  Yet she sings to great success.  Another singer's mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and one of the singer's first experiences was raising money for that cause. She says that with The Philhallmonic Society she realizes that sharing her passion and expertise as an actor, singer and dancer allows others less fortunate to soar. She can't think of a richer way to give back or pay it forward.

The Philhallmonic Society is a 501(c)(3) organization which depends on the generosity of others who believe in their efforts to sing so others can soar. To make a tax deductible donation, please visit their website, www.thephilhallmonicsociety.org or send your check or money order to The Philhallmonic Society Foundation, 303 Fifth Avenue, Suite 514, New York, New York 10016. Follow The Philhallmonic Society on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The-PhilHallmonic-Society/336986651148
 
For more information about the Reach the World 2011 Benefit Dinner, or to donate, please visit www.reachtheworld.org.