Grammy Award-winning rock band Imagine Dragons and Broadway star Shoshana Bean are set to perform at the TrevorLIVE New York fundraising gala June 19 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square, The Trevor Project announced today.
Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds will be honored with the Hero Award, one of the non-profit's top accolades. The semi-annual fundraiser recognizes The Trevor Project's impact in suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth and raises awareness about their lifesaving resources.
"With President Trump signing the religious liberty executive order last week, and anti-LGBTQ legislation being considered at the state level across the country, we need to reassure LGBTQ youth that they are not alone," said Steve Mendelsohn, The Trevor Project Interim Executive Director. "There's an army of allies standing with you, and they include Imagine Dragons band members and Shoshana Bean. We are grateful for advocates like them who are using their platform to counter and spread love."
Reynolds will be presented with the night's top honor, the Trevor Hero award, for his advocacy and longtime support of The Trevor Project's mission.
"To me, equality means equal rights for all and showing love and support for every human being regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, politics, or any other intersecting identities," Reynolds said. "It's important to me that I raise my three girls to see no difference in anyone and to only love. Both personally and professionally, I live my life in a way that will hopefully show my daughters that their dad will fight tirelessly until we all truly have equal rights. The Trevor Project award means far more to me than any accolade or accomplishment in my music or life. I want LGBTQ youth to know that they are whole and beautiful. I stand by their side and will do all in my power to be an ally, advocate and friend. Love is love."
Formed in 2009 and featuring lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman, Imagine Dragons earned a grassroots following by independently releasing a series of EPs.
The band made its major-label debut with the release of "Continued Silence," a 2012 EP featuring the two-time platinum breakthrough single "It's Time." "Night Visions" arrived later that year and Imagine Dragons found themselves on a skyward trajectory that saw the album debut at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and became the No. 1 album on Spotify Worldwide for 2013. The album's second single, the nine-time platinum "Radioactive," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rock chart and earned the band a 2014 Grammy for Best Rock Performance. Imagine Dragons' platinum-selling second album, "Smoke + Mirrors," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart and has sold 1.1 million copies worldwide. The band's third album, "Evolve," is due June 23.
Shoshana Bean is a veteran of the Broadway stage having made her debut in the original cast of "Hairspray" and starring as the very first replacement for Elphaba, the green-skinned witch in "Wicked." Most recently she appeared as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" and in the pre-Broadway production of the new musical "Beaches" as CeeCee Bloom, for which she earned a Jeff Award Nomination for best lead actress in a musical.
TrevorLIVE New York will include a performance from the Tony-nominated musical, "Dear Evan Hansen"; standup from comedian Dana Goldberg; and an original musical number, "I Wish I Were Gay." We are also proud to present an exclusive first look at the new musical based on the Academy Award-winning film which launched The Trevor Project - "TREVOR the musical."
The fundraiser and gala will be presented by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Deloitte.
"Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is proud to support the Trevor Project and its keynote event, TrevorLIVE," said Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. "We have supported The Trevor Project and its galas since 2014 and we are committed to bringing further awareness to its important mission. As a company, we work to ensure that all of our customers and associates feel included, respected, empowered, and safe, and we are honored to partner with organizations that share this same commitment."
Tim Davis will serve as director of TrevorLIVE New York. From six seasons on Fox's hit series "Glee," to the latest release from Tyler the Creator, Davis' collaborations as studio singer, producer, director, and vocal arranger span the breadth of the entertainment industry. Davis' producing and direction credits include Lady Gaga's Super Bowl 2017 halftime show, The People's Choice Awards, Josh Groban's "Stages," Barbra Streisand's 2016 tour, Childish Gambino's latest release, "Office Christmas Party 2," "The Americans" on FX, "The Goldbergs" on ABC, and more.
Fans and advocates will be able to join the gala via Facebook where The Trevor Project will livestream the red carpet arrivals and show. For more information on TrevorLIVE New York, visit ny.trevorlive.org.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention efforts for LGBTQ+ youth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its free and confidential crisis services, educational materials, online resources, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.TheTrevorProject.org.
TrevorLIVE at the Marriott Marquis Times Square is the signature annual event of The Trevor Project. This June event brings together top entertainers and corporate leaders to support the organization's life-saving initiatives, including its free and confidential crisis services, suicide prevention workshops, community outreach, advocacy efforts and educational resources. Learn more about TrevorLIVE at ny.trevorlive.org.
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