Homeless Teens Perform With Broadway's Finest During Night of Broadway Stars 6/2

Homeless youth striving to turn their lives around will get a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with some of Broadway's greatest stars on Tuesday, June 2, on the stage of the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Hotel in New York City. This inaugural event, Night of Broadway Stars, will feature a show-stopping performance by young people being helped by the Covenant House New York crisis shelter.

"This event gives our kids a chance to show their talent, their courage and their goodness," says Kevin M. Ryan, President of Covenant House. "After a very tough start in life, they have found the strength to get off the streets. Their courageous stories of survival are an inspiration to us all and performing with the Broadway stars - getting a chance to shine on stage - will make it a night our kids and the rest of us attending will never forget."

"It is my sincere belief that all our young people, no matter the circumstances, have inside themselves the determination and the strength to build self-sufficient, stable lives, but they need our help to do it" said Jerome Kilbane, Executive Director of Covenant House New York. "Performing alongside professional singers for hundreds of people reveals the courage and confidence that must be cultivated to help these kids make it on their own."

Night of Broadway Stars will include a full revue of performances by some of Broadway's greatest performers, including Rita Harvey from Phantom of the Opera, Natalie Toro from Les Miserables, Capathia Jenkins from Dreamgirls, and Darius de Haas from Kiss of the Spider Woman. The show will be hosted by renowned composer/lyricist Neil Berg, whose credits include the Prince and the Pauper and Grumpy Old Men.
The event also will honor Mark Loughridge, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of IBM and member of the Covenant House Board of Directors for his charitable works. All proceeds raised from Night of Broadway Stars will provide food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, vocational training and educational opportunities to the young people at Covenant House.

"We are in the midst of an economic downturn in which we all have difficult decisions to make," said Ryan. "But for the kids being trafficked by a pimp or starving on a street corner, the issue remains the same in good times and bad...Does anybody care? This event is an opportunity for compassionate people to stand side by side with our kids and let them know we care."

Night of Broadway Stars starts at 6 pm with a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres, the performance is at 7:30 pm, followed by a dessert reception. For ticket information, contact Brandy Zahner at 212-330-0523 or bzahner@covenanthouse.org.

Founded in 1972, Covenant House is the largest privately funded agency in the Americas helping homeless kids, providing 24/7 crisis care and ongoing support at 20 facilities, www.NINELINE.org, Covenant House NINELINE (1-800-999-9999) and www.covenanthouse.org.