'Singers Forum' Announces Gala Honoring Philbin on 4/28

 Andy Anselmo's Singers Forum announced that its 12th annual Andy Anselmo Achievement Awards Gala will celebrate the non-profit foundation's 30th anniversary as New York's leading institution dedicated to the development and appreciation of the vocal arts through vocal training, performance and community service.  Entering its fourth decade with a new, state-of-the-art facility and a gifted faculty of working professionals, Singers Forum is expanding its impact in New York City, building a new generation of vocal artists and audiences for the vocal arts.

The 2008 Andy Anselmo Achievement Awards Gala will present three awards. Award-winning entertainer Regis Philbin will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Singer songwriter Caroline Jones will receive an Achievement Award for emerging artists. The Senior Outreach Program performers – Joseph Brady, Olga Del Mar, Madeline Kerns, Ralph Lane, Patrizia Scascitelli, Clark Warren – who brighten the lives of thousands of elder New Yorkers with music every year will receive the Special Volunteer Award.  The Awards Gala will take place on Monday, April 28th at New World Stages and will include a cocktail reception, a musical performance directed by Jerome Harmann-Hardeman and a post-performance reception.

Regis Philbin is a cultural icon in television broadcasting.  Best known as the Emmy-winning host of the a.m. talker "Live with Regis and Kelly" as well as primetime's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "America's Got Talent," and the upcoming "Million Dollar Password," Philbin also has found his non-televised projects to be true labors of love.  In 2004, Hollywood Records released Philbin's album of timeless songs, When You're Smiling, produced by acclaimed producer/singer Steve Tyrell.  The disc isn't his first musical venture – that was 1968's It's Time for Regis!, recorded during his days on "The Joey Bishop Show." It took 38 years for his follow-up album, a collection of some of the greatest songs in American pop music, including "Pennies From Heaven" and "It Had to be You."  Based on the success of When You're Smiling, Hollywood Records signed Philbin for a follow-up album of Christmas classics, also produced by Tyrell.  The Regis Philbin Christmas Album, which debuted in 2005, features duets with Joy Philbin, Tyrell, and a special appearance by Donald Trump, and was one of the season's top-selling holiday albums.  He is the recipient of numerous awards including a TV Guide Award as Personality of the Year and a Broadcasting & Cable Lifetime Achievement Award.  In 2006, he was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Television Academy's Hall of Fame, and at this year's Daytime Emmy Awards will receive the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Caroline Jones, 17, has been singing since the age of nine. Trained classically by Andy Anselmo at Singers Forum, Caroline began singing various show tunes and arias. At age 11, Caroline began writing and recording her own songs and performing at venues such as Birdland, The Allen Room at Lincoln Center, Canisius College, and, of course, Singers Forum.  In 2006, Caroline began writing and recording demos with producer Chris Toland. The following year, she transferred to the Professional Children's School to dedicate more time to her passion, and began recording at Sony and Avatar Studios in New York City. Currently, she is exploring the music culture of Nashville and the exciting prospect of a career in country music.

The Senior Outreach Program, operating since 1989, provides free performances at senior centers, hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.  Additionally, it provides more than 120 free or reduced-price performances to over 5,000 New York seniors each year.

The Andy Anselmo Achievement Awards was created in 1997 to acknowledge students and faculty who are on the verge of breaking through to a higher level in their career and accomplished individuals with a long career on stage or behind the scenes. In addition to honoring both emerging vocal artists and veterans of show business, the award is given to special benefactors for their generous support of the foundation. Past award recipients include Karen Akers, Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Arlene Dahl, Mia Farrow, Tovah Feldshuh, Mandy Patinkin, Marty Richards, Billy Stritch, and Julie Wilson, among others.

Since its inception, the Andy Anselmo Achievement Awards Gala has raised nearly one million dollars in support of the Singers Forum scholarship and outreach programs and the purchase of its headquarters at 49 West 24th Street in Manhattan.

A $5,000 contribution includes 2 tickets in VIP seating, recognition in the Awards Program as a Platinum Sponsor and access to VIP post-show reception with performers and honorees.  A $1,000 contribution includes 1 ticket in Premium seating and recognition in the Awards Program as a Gold Sponsor.  A $500 contribution includes 1 ticket in Preferred seating and recognition in the Awards Program as a Silver Sponsor.  A $300 contribution includes 1 ticket in Standard seating and recognition in the Awards Program as a Bronze Sponsor.

For more information, please call JKS Events at 212-725-2948.

For thirty years, Singers Forum has been committed to providing the highest quality vocal training for all students interested in furthering and developing their talents. Founded in 1978 by Andy Anselmo and John Albert Harris as a not-for-profit foundation, Singers Forum is built on the philosophy of personal achievement and artistic development through vocal training, performance and community service.  It is unique among the professional training academies in the city because it offers affordable year-round classes and performance spaces for the emerging artist as well as the recreational singer in all styles of vocal performance including, but not limited to, opera, musical theatre, jazz, pop and cabaret.  With a strong emphasis on vocal technique, combined with numerous performance opportunities in a safe and supportive environment, Singers Forum strives to offer each student a full curriculum for both professional and personal growth.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Don Rebic, Singers Forum has a distinguished faculty of professional performers and musicians with diverse backgrounds and particular strengths in musical theater, cabaret, jazz, and opera, including John Capes, Eric Comstock, Bradley Dean, Barbara Fasano, Eric Michael Gillett, Elizabeth Russo and Christopher Temporelli among others.  For a complete list of faculty and their bios, please visit www.singersforum.org/faculty.html.

In addition to offering classes at its home on West 24th Street, Singers Forum is deeply involved in community service, which is central to the institution's mission. In addition to the Senior Outreach Program, the Youth Outreach Scholarship Program has provided free classes and private lessons to at-risk children in New York City Public Schools and after-school programs.

Singers Forum Alumni include Gabrielle Anwar, Christine Baranski, Tony Bennett, Bill Beutel, Patrick Dempsey, Mia Farrow, Jose Ferrer, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Julie Harris, Mariette Hartley, Bruno Kirby, Eartha Kitt, Jean Kraft, John Leguizamo, Rue McClanahan, Liza Minnelli, Mary Tyler Moore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Mandy Patinkin, Regis Philbin, Maryanne Plunkett, David Rasche, Saundra Santiago, Brooke Shields, Billy Stritch, Susan Tyrell, Joanne Woodward, and Ben Wright.

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