Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelli O'Hara & More Set for New 42nd Street's Annual Gala Tonight

The New 42nd Street hosts its annual Gala, this year celebrating 25 years, tonight, April 11 at The New Victory Theater. The evening will honor Douglas Durst, Bruce C. Ratner, Daniel R. Tishman, and Mortimer B. Zuckerman with the Marian Heiskell Award and President of The New 42nd Street, Cora Cahan, with the New Victory Arts Award. Jane and Michael Eisner will serve as Gala honorary chairs.

"A significant part of the New York City skyline has been defined by these four titans of real estate and nowhere is their influence more evident than here on 42nd Street at the Crossroads of the World. They honor us by accepting the Marian Heiskell Award," says Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn, Vice Chair of the The New 42nd Street Board and Gala Co-Chair. Mary Ann Tighe will present the award, which is named for The New 42nd Street Founding Board Chairman and given to extraordinary individuals whose leadership and foresight help shape the future of New York City.

The Board of The New 42nd Street, guided by Board Chairman Fiona Howe Rudin, will also honor Cora Cahan with the New Victory Arts Award for bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Sarah Jessica Parker will present the award, which is given to individuals whose concern for the well-being of children is matched by their belief that arts and arts education stimulate creativity. Says Rudin, "Cora is a visionary; to take the smallest theater on the most derelict block in Times Square and turn it into a theater for kids demands passion, imagination and tenacity-qualities that Cora has in abundance."

"When it opened in 1995, The New Victory was the harbinger of the remarkable revitalization on 42nd Street. Now, 20 years later, it is an essential rite of passage for all the city's kids and has set a powerful national and international standard for high quality performing arts for the young and not so young alike," adds Sarah Long Solomon, Vice Chair of the The New 42nd Street Board and Gala Co-Chair.

The festivities will begin at 6:30PM with cocktails and a strolling supper at the New 42nd Street Studios, followed by a celebratory musical performance at The New Victory Theater directed by Jeff Whiting and produced by Open Jar Productions, which will include special appearances by Kelli O'Hara, Bill Irwin, Mark Linn-Baker, Tiler Peck and other members of the Broadway community. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Bari Lasky at BLasky@New42.org or 646-223-3085.

The New 42nd Street Gala provides critical support to The New Victory Theater for its artistic and education programs. Since opening, The New Victory has presented over 276 productions of uncompromising theater, dance, music, circus and puppetry to New York families on the weekends and NYC school kids during the week. This year alone, 40,000 kids from over 200 schools, after school programs and day camps throughout the city will see a broad spectrum of international productions at little to no cost, and participate in 1,300 free classroom workshops conducted by an ensemble of 50 New Victory Teaching Artists.

Along with Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn and Sarah Long Solomon and David Solomon, the event is co-chaired by Helena Durst and Tom Bow of The Durst Organization, MaryAnne Gilmartin of Forest City Ratner Companies, David Rothenberg of Tishman Realty and Owen D. Thomas of Boston Properties. Thomson Reuters is the lead Gala Corporate Sponsor.

The New Victory Arts Award has been presented to beloved actor, clown and comedian Bill Irwin; President of the Jim Henson Foundation, Cheryl Henson; the Australia Council for the Arts; entertainment leader Michael D. Eisner; and acclaimed actor, musician, singer and author John Lithgow. Last year's inaugural Marian Heiskell Award was presented to the Rudin Family.

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Committed to the transformational power of the arts, The New 42nd Street builds on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone's life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street's historic theaters; maintaining and fully using the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street to support performing artists in the creation of their work; and through The New Victory Theater, New York's premier theater devoted to kids and families.

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