Photos: Inside the Vineyard Theatre Gala Celebrating Laura Nyro

Just last night, Billy Crudup and Deirdre O'Connell co-hosted Vineyard Theatre's annual gala, honoring New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera and celebrating the music of the extraordinary late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro.

Mandy Gonzalez, Judy Kuhn and Anika Noni Rose, reunited for the first time in twenty years since their Obie Award-winning performances in the Vineyard's Laura Nyro musical Eli's Comin'. Additional guest artists included Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester, Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter Felix Cavaliere from The Rascals, Latoya Edwards (School Girls, Miss You Like Hell), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Rent, original cast member of the Vineyard's Eli's Comin'), Julie Benko (Funny Girl) and an appearance by Vineyard artist and Board Member Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton, Black No More). The gala show was directed by Sarna Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George), with musical direction by Dan Lipton (The Last Ship.)

Funds raised benefit The Vineyard's return to live performances with the 2021-2022 Season and its Good Neighbor program, which provides free and low cost tickets to thousands of New Yorkers every year.

Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre company dedicated to nurturing the voices of daring artists and developing and producing work that pushes the boundaries of what theatre can be and do. One of the country's preeminent centers for the creation of new plays and musicals, our work seeks to challenge and inspire all of us to see ourselves and our world from different perspectives.

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas