Diana DeGarmo and Andrew Leeds To Star In QUILT, A Musical Celebration Stories For, From and About The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

Star of Broadway's Hair and Hairspray and American Idol, Diana DeGarmo has signed on to star in QUILT, A MUSICAL CELEBRATION to benefit the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and Frontline AIDS (formerly the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in celebration of Stonewall's 50th Anniversary. This community event is presented by Candid Theater Company, Judson Memorial Church, The Greenwich Village Orchestra, The West Village Chorale, MJP Theatrical, Metro Baptist Church, The NAMES Project Foundation/NAMES Memorial AIDS Quilt, and NYC Pride 2019 | WorldPride NYC | Stonewall50.

QUILT, A MUSICAL CELEBRATION will be presented Friday, June 21 at 8 pm; Saturday, June 22 at 2 pm; Saturday, June 22 at 8 pm (VIP Cocktail Reception); and Sunday, June 23 at 4 pm at Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square South, NYC). This one-weekend, four-performance-only presentation, will feature actors, singers, and performers representing a cross-section of the HIV activist community and community organizations. Tickets are $35-$65 ($50 for Saturday's VIP Reception) and can be purchased by visiting www.quiltmusical.org.

QUILT, A MUSICAL CELEBRATION is a unique and affecting work that celebrates and remembers both those who died from AIDS and those who have survived or been left behind. Based on true stories from friends and loved ones who were left behind, the musical is a living history for a new generation. This special presentation of QUILT, pairs community arts organizations with professional and amateur artists from around the country and is a celebration of the people, the laughter, and the tears, surrounding the deadliest plague in American History. With over 2000 square feet, this production will feature the largest installation of the AIDS Quilt in New York City in over a decade.

QUILT was first produced in 1992 in conjunction with the NAMES Project and the Smithsonian Institute as a means to celebrate the lives of people affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. By honoring not only the people who lost their battle with this devastating pandemic, but also paying reverence to the people who love them and carry on their legacies. Too often the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS are viewed through the narrow lens of the people lost and the first-tier survivors (spouses, parents). QUILT takes a deeper look at the connective tissue of family (birth-family and chosen-family) and how this disease affects all of us in one way or another.

Singer, songwriter, from stage to screen, Diana DeGarmo has conquered it all and then some. Her powerhouse vocals shot her to fame on American Idol, secured her as a Billboard #1 Artist, and opened doors to Broadway shows like HAIR & Hairspray, Off- Broadway shows like The Toxic Avenger and The Marvelous Wonderettes, National & International Tours of 9 to 5, BKLYN: The Musical, Jekyll & Hyde, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a recurring role on The Young & The Restless, and much more. Discover her newest studio album of big band country bops, GEMINI, out now!

Andrew Leeds started acting professionally at the age of 8. He first appeared on Broadway in the musical Teddy & Alice and soon after appeared as Gavroche in Les Miserables. He next starred on Broadway in the musical Falsettos as Jason. He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Computer Science. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York. As a writer, he has written pilots for various networks including FOX, NBC, and Showtime including the role of Christopher Pelant in the series "Bones."

QUILT, A MUSICAL CELEBRATION has a book & lyrics by Jim Morgan, book by John Schak music by Michael Stockler, directed by Justin Kirkeberg with music direction by Barbara Yahr, orchestrations by Brandon Kaplan, vocal direction by Henco Espag and produced by Mark Perry.

"This fundraiser is an opportunity to provide much-needed resources in the boots-on-the-ground efforts to fight to the pandemic. It's also a chance to remember that, while we've made vast improvements in the prevention and treatment of the virus, there is still no cure, and all of our communities need to be diligent in educating our communities about the realities of the virus and its impact. Even with the fabulous strides we've made, infection-rates have been increasing in the African American1 and Latinx communities." -QUILT director, Justin Kirkeberg

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