TRU Loe Benefit Honors Wiesenfeld, Nov.11

Theater Resources Unlimited is pleased to announce some noteworthy additions to the sixth annual TRU Love Benefit honoring producer, Cheryl Wiesenfeld. TRU Love takes place on Sunday, November 11 from 1PM-4PM at Sardi's (234 W. 44th Street). The additions include the announcement of the winner of the 2007 Howard L. Blau Award for a promising new work of musical theater and more Broadway Stars added to the performance roster including, Montego Glover (The Color Purple).

The 2007 Howard L. Blau Award will be chosen from the three musicals that have been selected for this year's 7th Annual TRU Voices series – taking place Monday evenings in December 3, 10 & 17 at the Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street). This year's shows are the classic children's fantasy At the Back of the North Wind by Jeffrey Haddow and Tom Tierney, produced by Pat Addiss (Spring Awakening, Little Women); Opa!, a Greek comedy romance, by Mari Carras, produced by the team of Jane Dubin and Meredith Lucio (Take Me America) who are currently in the TRU Producer Mentorship program; and the showbiz satire Saratoga Trunk Songs by David Arthur, produced by Dennis Grimaldi.

Montego Glover (The Color Purple) joins the cast of the TRU Love Benefit, singing a song from Saint Heaven, a new musical that originated in the TRU Voices Musicals Series, produced by Van Hill Entertainment under the mentorship of honoree Cheryl Wiesenfeld. Danai Gurira joins co-star Nikkole Salter to recreate moments from their acclaimed play, In the Continuum. In addition to the previously announced, Tonya Pinkins (Tony Award winner for Jelly's Last Jam), Mia Dillon and Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey and David and Lisa), Jessica Blank, Laura Marie Duncan and an appearance from Tony winner and 2007 Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch (pending availability).

Tickets for the benefit, including a full luncheon at Sardi's, $100 for unreserved tables (the $150 for "Circle of Angels" seats are sold out). A Silent Auction will include tickets to Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, Rent and the Broadway production of In the Heights, VIP tickets to the "Colbert Report" including a backstage tour, a $5000 portrait sitting from Bradford Renaissance Portraits, as well as massages, acting coaching and assorted gift items. Tickets may be purchased online at www.truonline.org/store.htm, additional details of the event may be found by visiting the TRU website at www.truonline.org and click the link for the 2007 TRU Love Benefit.

The benefit will raise money to support TRU's programs, including the upcoming TRU Voices New Musicals Series and the Spring New Plays Reading Series, in which TRU offers producers an opportunity to do a developmental reading of a new work.  Plays in the series have gone on to be part of the New York International Fringe Festival, the Midtown International Theater Festival, NYMF and NAMT, several have had productions in New York (including The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Pied a Terre, which will be opening in November off-Broadway at the Kirk Theatre starring William Atherton), and some have had productions around the country (including Saint Heaven, for which Wiesenfeld served as Mentor for the producer, Co-Chairs of the event, Van Dean and Hillary Cutter). Several have even found producers and productions as a direct result of our series. As the series is only 9 years old, TRU expects that many more works will go on to even greater success in the coming years.

Michael David and Dodger Properties (producers of Jersey Boys and the upcoming The Farnsworth Invention) has come on as a Sponsor for the event, as has Avon Products, Inc., Kampfire Films PR, Elysabeth Kleinhans, Samuel French Inc., Lauren Stevens and Wonder City LLC, and Theatrical Rights Worldwide; Flowers for the event provided by Nic Faitos of Starbright Floral Design; the Honorary Benefit Committee includes legendary Elaine Stritch, director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde), Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson of Fox Theatricals, Susan Q. Gallin (Spamalot, The Retreat from Moscow), Tom Hulce (Spring Awakening), Lauren Stevens, Mary Pepe and Randall Wreghitt (Grey Gardens, Little Women).

Theater Resources Unlimited (T.R.U.) is a certified 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that has serviced the theater community, in a variety of ways, for over fifteen years. TRU was formed to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theater community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the capacity of producing organizations, individuals producers, and other theater professionals. TRU is dedicated to creating a supportive, nurturing environment in the New York performing arts community, interfacing producers at all levels of experience, from beginners to Broadway pros. TRU provides educational and support services that help to nurture and develop producers, which makes for better opportunities for all artists in theater, and better theater for our audiences.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.truonline.org/store.htm, additional details of the event may be found by visiting the TRU website at www.truonline.org and click the link for the 2007 TRU Love Benefit.