Walnut Street Theatre to Honor US Airways With Edwin Forrest Award at FROM HOLLYWOOD TO BROADWAY, 5/2

Walnut Street Theatre is pleased to announce that it will honor US Airways, the official airline for Walnut Street Theatre, with the 2014 Edwin Forrest Award. The award will be presented to Robert Ciminelli, VP of Customer Experience and a Walnut Street Theatre Trustee, at its annual Gala. The evening's events will begin with a 90-minute concert hosted by Ben Lipitz, who Walnut audiences will remember from The Producers and God of Carnage. Featuring some of Philadelphia's favorite performers, including Rachel Beiswenger, Rachel Camp, Jeffrey Coon, Ben Dibble, Jennie Eisenhower, Sarah Gliko, Scott Langdon, Mary Martello, Ben Michael, Cary Michele Miller, Ellie Mooney, Michael Philip O'Brien, Lyn Philistine, Fran Prisco, Christopher Sutton, Tara Tagliaferro, Lilly Tobin and Denise Whelan, voices will fill the theatre with unforgettable musical moments from stage and screen. All proceeds from the Gala benefit the Walnut Street Theatre's Education and Outreach programming, which reaches over 120,000 students, teachers and families annually in the Delaware Valley.

The Gala Concert, From Hollywood to Broadway, will take place on Walnut Street Theatre's Mainstage at 7:00PM on Friday, May 2. Before the concert begins, guests will receive a glass of bubbly to enjoy during the performance. Following the Gala Concert, a VIP Party will be held on the Thomas Jefferson University Campus in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building (1001 Locust Street, between 10th and 11th Streets).

This event is held annually to honor members of the business and artistic communities with the Edwin Forrest Award for their contributions to American Theatre. The award was created in 1990 in honor of the leading American actor of the nineteenth century, Edwin Forrest. Forrest is a Philadelphia native who made his debut at the Walnut in 1820.

The Walnut is happy to honor US Airways with the Edwin Forrest Award for its unwavering support to the Walnut Street Theatre. As a loyal partner, US Airways provides airfare for artists and supports the Theatre's education initiatives. The company exemplifies the spirit of Edwin Forrest by generously giving back to Philadelphia's artistic community and safeguarding the tradition of American Theatre.

American Airlines Group is the holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. Together with American Eagle and US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

American's AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to earn and redeem miles for travel and everyday purchases as well as flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and other retail products. A founding member of the oneworld® alliance, American Airlines and its members and members-elect, serve 981 destinations with 14,244 daily flights to 151 countries.

The Edwin Forrest Award will be presented to Robert Ciminelli, VP of Customer Experience for American Airlines. For the past six years, Ciminelli has overseen all aspects of US Airways' operations at its Philadelphia hub. With the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, he recently took on a new role of leading the integration of all airport activities of the two airlines - a position based in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Ciminelli's aviation career with American Airlines spans four decades. He began in 1979 as an airport agent at Los Angeles International Airport. Prior to his tenure in Philadelphia, he was managing director at New York City's LaGuardia Airport, having previously served in the same capacity at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Ciminelli has held several other management positions at airports in Washington D.C., Nashville, TN and Raleigh, NC.

Since 2008, Ciminelli has dedicated his time and resources to support the Philadelphia community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Walnut Street Theatre and the Police Athletic League, the US Airways Education Foundation and as Executive Sponsor of the Company's African-American Diversity Network (AADN). He is a graduate of the University of Buffalo. Ciminelli and his wife, Joanne, currently reside in Philadelphia and are in the process of relocating to Texas.

$35 Gala Tickets include a ticket to the concert and a pre-concert glass of bubbly. $80 Premium Tickets include a premium Sseat at the concert and a pre-concert glass of bubbly. $250 VIP Tickets include VIP seating, a pre-concert glass of bubbly, and access to the VIP party. To purchase tickets, call 215-574-3550 or visit www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.

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