Carolee Carmello to Guest Star in NYC Gay Men's Chorus and Youth Pride Chorus Gala, 2/19

On Wednesday February 19th generous supporters will come together to celebrate the mission of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) and Youth Pride Chorus (YPC) of promoting equality through the power of song. Harmony, now in its 13th year, will be held at Affirmation Arts, a luxury venue located in Manhattan's Hudson Yards. Three-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello will guest star at this year's gala. Members of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) and Youth Pride Chorus (YPC) will also perform.

The evening includes an open bar, hors d'oeuvres, high-end silent auction items, and a live auction filled with vacation packages in a wide range of bidding levels. The auction will be led by effervescent auctioneer CK Swett and assisted by acclaimed drag performer Ms. Ermine Muff. Hot New York DJ Bill Coleman will spin his musical magic.

VIP tickets, which include a pre-event champagne reception and meet & greet with Ms. Carmello are $275 each or $1,250 for a group of five. General admission tickets are $175 each or $750 for a group of five.

"Harmony is a great night out and a chance for the LGBT community and our allies to join with us and advocate for equality through song," said Peter Criswell, Executive Director of Big Apple Performing Arts, home of NYCGMC and YPC. "We are thrilled to be joined by Broadway powerhouse Carolee Carmello. The evening will be filled with entertaining music, delicious food and drink, and wonderful people all supporting a great cause."

Harmony, A musical gala benefiting the New York City Gay Men's Chorus and Youth Pride Chorus is set for Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., VIP Champagne Reception at 6:00 p.m. Affirmation Arts, 523 W 37th Street (between 10th/11th Avenues), starring Carolee Carmello and featuring Ms. Ermine Muff and DJ Bill Coleman. Tickets: $175 General Admission | $750 Group of Five | $275 for VIP Admission | $1,250 VIP Group of Five. Admission includes Hors d'oeuvres, Open Bar and Performances. VIP admission also includes Champagne Reception, Meet & Greet with Ms. Carmello and Reserved Seating for the Main Performance. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.nycgmc.org or call 212-344-1777 x 1.

Carolee Carmello has played leading roles in 12 Broadway musicals, including her recent Tony- nominated performance in Scandalous, where she portrayed the infamous evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson. Broadway audiences also saw Carolee as Mother Superior in Sister Act, as Mrs. Beineke in The Addams Family (for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and an Outer Critics Circle nomination), as Donna in Mamma Mia!, as Gabrielle in Lestat (Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), as Ms. Pennywise in Urinetown, as Kate in Kiss Me Kate, as Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, as Lucille Frank in Parade (Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award), as AbiGail Adams in 1776, as Cordelia in Falsettos, and as Oolie in City of Angels. Her Off-Broadway shows include: john and jen, Das Barbecu?, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Hello Again (Obie Award), A Class Act, The Vagina Monologues, and Elegies. Ms. Carmello has been seen on television in "Smash," "Law and Order," "Frasier," "Ed," and "Remember W.E.N.N." (SAG Award nomination). Her concert appearances have taken her across America and Europe, including engagements at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and Carnegie Hall.

Big Apple Performing Arts serves as an umbrella organization that provides resources and coordinates LGBTQ identified performing groups. Within these groups, members unite to entertain, educate and advocate through the power of the performing arts.

New York City Gay Men's Chorus is a musical organization that sings fabulously and celebrates the joy and power of music. It provides a safe and inclusive space where singers can grow through performance and social interaction, and it campaigns unceasingly for equality and justice for the LGBTQ community, forging alliances to make our voices heard.

Youth Pride Chorus harnesses the power of the performing arts to galvanize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight young people ages 13-22 as agents of change. YPC refuses homophobia, bullying, and all forms of hate by boldly asserting the joy, diversity, strength, and pride of today's youth. YPC singers discover their own power by empowering others in schools, online, and in the general public through electrifying performances of the highest caliber.

CK Swett, a California native and Duke University graduate, began his career in the art auction world in 2006 and joined Phillips in 2011 where, among many responsibilities, he serves as a licensed art auctioneer. Through his charity auction volunteerism he has helped raise over $10 million for more than 100 charitable foundations, with causes ranging from orphans in Malawi and veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, to public schools in Manhattan and the American Cancer Society. Hailed by The New York Times as having, "managed to shake up the staid world of auctioneering," CK set the world auction record for boxing memorabilia in February 2012, selling the gloves Muhammad Ali wore during his 1965 fight against Floyd Patterson for $1.1 million on behalf of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. CK feels fortunate to have the opportunity to not only volunteer his services for such important endeavors, but also to represent both his company and his line of work as a force for good. When not convincing bidders to raise their paddle one last time or sitting at his desk writing sales proposals, he is often found swimming, reading the New Yorker, or singing enthusiastically off-key.

Ms. Ermine Muff (of the Connecticut Muffs)-Socialite, reformed debutante and housewife, Ms. Muff is best known as the spouse of the late billionaire furrier, Mr. Eaton Muff, whose famous ad campaign, "Pass the cold Connecticut winters by slipping into an Eaton Muff... Eaton Muff Furriers of Bridgeport," is known globally. Tragically, Mr. Muff died as a volunteer for a knife throwing act while attending a supper club. Ms. Muff now fills her widowed days with philanthropic endeavors, specifically that of fundraising for the LBGT community such as the NYC Trinity Place Shelter for LGBT Youth, The Upper Delaware GLBT Center, The Shed Project, New York City Gay Men's Chorus, AIDS Walk New York, and the American Cancer Society. She has performed and collaborated with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, the Imperial Court of New York, Wigsticks, and the Connecticut Diabetes Foundation. Ms. Muff urges everyone to consider giving generously to the LGBT community either monetarily or through volunteerism.

DJ Bill Coleman / Peace Bisquit- Multi-faceted DJ, producer, remixer, music supervisor, performer, recording artist, writer and influential tastemaker Bill Coleman is renowned for his eclectic taste, acute ear and diverse musical expertise. The tireless "renaissance man" has enjoyed success as a revered music journalist, has written a music column for NYC style rag PAPER, sat on the initial editorial board for OUT Magazine and freelanced for numerous international media outlets. As owner of Brooklyn-based Peace Bisquit, Coleman along with Angelo "Pepe" Skordos, Erin Fairman and Jamie Brundage represent an array of genre-defying artists, producers and songwriters and incorporates A&R consultancy, music supervision, sound design and a record company. As a DJ and sound designer, Bill Coleman is adept at mixing a musical tapestry of varied genres. The much in-demand maestro has sound designed for various fashion shows, art installations and special events sponsored by Nike, Radiohead, Kangol, Vogue, AOL, Marc Bouwer, DIFFA, The Brand New Heavies, World Of Wonder, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Russell Simmons, Imogen Heap, 2-Xist and Bloomingdales. Besides heading up his own popular NYC performance troupe called Daisy Spurs, Bill also finds time to be a member of Grammy winner Jody Watley's touring band!