Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968, has announced a starry line-up of talent that will be on hand to celebrate the company's 48th Anniversary Gala Benefit honoring the Tony Award-winning composing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty on Monday, April 3, 2017 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues). As previously announced, Honorary Chair for the event is Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer Chita Rivera and noted theatre journalist Peter Filichia returns as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
Scheduled to participate in "The Flip Side: Unknown Musical Gems by Ahrens and Flaherty," a musical salute to the evening's honorees will be Broadway's Liz Callaway (Baby, Cats), Eddie Korbich (Seussical, A Gentleman's Guide...), Quentin Earl Darrington (Ragtime) Tina Fabrique (Dessa Rose), Ali Mauzey (Wicked, Cry Baby),Janet Metz (Fiddler on the Roof, On the Town) Kenita R. Miller (The Color Purple) N'Kenge (Motown), Evan Pappas (Parade, My Favorite Year), as well as Mick Bleyer, Jerusha Cavazos, Darlesia Cearcy, Kevin R. Free,Jeremiah James, Lauren Lukacek, Lulu Picart and Juan Torres-Falcon. Direction is by Jonathan Cerullo with Musical Direction by Deborah Abramson.
The gala evening will begin at 6:00pm with a champagne reception and silent auction. At 7:00pm, students of theRosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Amas' flagship education program, will present a sneak peek of their upcoming spring production, followed by the aforementioned show. The evening will culminate in presentation of "The Rosie Award," this year bestowed upon the Tony Award winning composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Anastasia, Once on This Island, Ragtime, Rocky, Seussical, Dessa Rose). A scholarship in the name of Amas founder Rosetta LeNoire will also be given to a college-bound student attending the Amas Teen Academy.
"Lynn and Stephen exemplify the spirit of Rosetta LeNoire because of their extraordinary accomplishments and dedication in bringing our world more closely together through the theatrical arts," says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Producing Artistic Director. "Their musicals have explored the cultural terrains of bigotry and exclusion. Their magnificent musical Ragtime encompassed the immigrant experience in the early 20th Century; Once on this Islandis a story about the haves and have nots on a Caribbean Island; Dessa Rose is the story of the liberation and spiritual awakening of two women of different color during the time of slavery. Their work is both inspirational and beautiful."
Tickets are $500 and $250, plus a limited number of show-only $150 seats available, and can be purchased online at www.amasmusical.org, or by calling (212) 563-2565. More information at www.amasmusical.org.
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