Public Theater's 2013 Gala to Feature PIRATES OF PENZANCE Concert at Delacorte Theater, 6/10

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that the 2013 Public Theater annual gala will celebrate the company's acclaimed 1980 production of the musical, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, with a one-night-only concert performance on Monday, June 10 at the Delacorte Theater where The Public's production originally premiered more than three decades ago. Sir Howard Stringer, Arielle Tepper Madover, and Renée Beaumont will serve as Gala Co-Chairs for this unforgettable evening that will also honor the late Nora Ephron who was a longtime Public Theater board member and consummate lover of Shakespeare in the Park.

"We are proud to be honoring Nora Ephron, a beloved board member and brilliant New Yorker, at this year's Public Theater gala," said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "Our 1980 production of The Pirates of Penzance was one of the most joyous examples of Joe Papp's producing genius in The Public's history. This one-night concert will be a night to celebrate both Nora and Joe."

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is a beloved musical, featuring a book and lyrics by W. S. Gilbert, and music by Arthur Sullivan. The original cast of The Public Theater's 1980 production featured Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Linda Ronstadt as Mabel, Rex Smith as Frederic, and George Rose as Major-General Stanley. The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production, directed by Wilford Leach with musical adaptation by William Elliot and choreography by Graciela Daniele, later transferred to Broadway and won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. The Public Theater has a long history of premiering new musicals at the Delacorte that have made a strong impact on the landscape of musical theater and are still performed around the world today. Casting for the concert performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE will be announced shortly.

To receive an invitation to The Public Theater's gala on Monday, June 10, please call (212) 539-8547 or emailgala@publictheater.org.

The Public Theater, founded nearly 60 years ago by Joe Papp as one of the nation's first nonprofit theaters, has been an advocate for theater as an essential cultural force and forum for dialogue about issues of the day. As the only theater in New York producing Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental works in equal measure, The Public continues its long tradition of engaging a wide range of audiences and artists.

The Public Theater's programming reaches all corners of the city, serving a broad and diverse audience. The Public's Mobile Shakespeare Unit tours professional Shakespearean productions throughout the five boroughs, providing free access to underserved constituencies-including those at homeless shelters, prisons and centers for at-risk youth. The Public also fosters the next generation of theater artists with professional development programs at no cost to the artists-including the Emerging Writers Group. The Public organizes The Public Forum, a popular series of lectures, debates and conversations that showcase leading voices in the arts, politics and media exploring social issues raised in the theater's productions.

The Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park continues to be the bedrock of the Company's mission to increase access. Since the opening of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in 1962, more than five million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at the Delacorte Theater.

This spring, The Public Theater will present the following shows downtown at its home at Astor Place: the world premiere of the David Byrne musical Here Lies Love, April 2-May 5; the world premiere of Richard Foreman's Old-Fashioned Prostitutes (A True Romance), April 30-June 2; the Public Lab production of the new musical Venice, May 28-June 23; and the first New York revival of Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner, June 21-August 25.

The Public's 2013 free Shakespeare in the Park season will begin on May 28 with The Comedy of Errors, featuring Shakespeare in the Park alumni Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamish Linklater. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, The Comedy of Errors will run for five weeks through June 30.

The second show of The Public's free Shakespeare in the Park season will feature a new musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, A New Musical, directed by Alex Timbers with songs by Michael Friedman, and book adaptation by Alex Timbers. Love's Labour's Lost, A New Musical will begin performances on July 23 and run through August 18.

Bank of America returns for the seventh year as season sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park supporting The Public in its mission to keep this valued program free for all.

Nora Ephron (Artistic Honoree) (1941-2012). A longtime supporter of The Public Theater, Nora Ephron served on The Public's Board of Trustees for over eight years. After becoming one of the industry's most respected screenwriters, Nora Ephron turned to directing in 1992 with her first feature, 20th Century Fox's This is My Life starring Julie Kavner. She followed it in 1993 with her second picture, TriStar's Sleepless in Seattle starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, which grossed over $200 million worldwide, and then Michael, starring John Travolta, William Hurt and Andie McDowell. Nora teamed Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan again for the 1998 released You've Got Mail. In 2000, Nora directed Lucky Numbers, starring John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow. Nora's first Broadway play, Imaginary Friends, was produced on Broadway in December 2002 and starred Cherry Jones and Swoosie Kurtz. She also wrote Love, Loss, and What I Wore with her sister Delia Ephron, which ran Off-Broadway in 2009. Her latest play, Lucky Guy, featuring Tom Hanks, is currently in previews at the Broadhurst Theatre. Her last film was the 2008 released Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Nora Ephron received three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay: for Sleepless in Seattle (with David Ward and Jeff Arch), for Rob Reiner's hit comedy When Harry Met Sally... and for Mike Nichols' Silkwood (co-written with Alice Arlen). Nora began screenwriting after years as one of the country's best known journalists. She started as a newspaper reporter for the New York Post and then became a magazine writer for Esquire, the New York Times Magazine and New York Magazine, among others. Two collections of her essays, "Crazy Salad" and "Scribble, Scribble" are bestsellers and her book, "I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman," reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Nora's collection of essays, "I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections," was published in 2010 and was also a national bestseller.

SIR Howard Stringer (Co-Chair) is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sony Corporation. Sir Howard served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Sony Corporation until April 1, 2012, when his chosen successor, Kazuo Hirai, formerly Executive Deputy President, assumed those positions. He also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation of America (SCA) until June 27, 2012. Sir Howard joined Sony in May 1997 as President and COO of SCA. He was named Chairman and CEO of SCA in 1998, and became Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation in June 2005. The title of President was given to him in April 2009. Prior to joining Sony in May 1997, Sir Howard had a distinguished 30-year career as a journalist, producer and executive at CBS Inc. As President of CBS from 1988 to 1995, he was responsible for all broadcast activities of the company, including entertainment, news, sports, and its radio and television stations. Under his leadership, the CBS Television Network became the first network to rise from last to first place in one season. A native of Cardiff, Wales, Sir Howard received the title of Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours list of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on December 31, 1999. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in modern history from Oxford University. He has honorary Fellowships from Merton College, Oxford, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Sir Howard has also received Honorary Doctorates from Oxford University, the University of Glamorgan in Wales and the University of the Arts London. He is a recipient of the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement for service in Vietnam (1965-1967). He became a U.S. citizen in 1985. He is married to Dr. Jennifer A.K. Patterson and they have two children.

Arielle Tepper MADOVER (Co-Chair), a Tony Award winning Producer, has produced theater on and Off-Broadway since 1998. Mrs. Madover's credits on Broadway include Lucky Guy, I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, Annie, HAIR, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Equus, Frost/Nixon and Monty Python's Spamalot, The Pillowman, Democracy, A Raisin in the Sun, as well as The Royal National Theater's production of Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, Hollywood Arms, A Class Act, James Joyce's The Dead, John Leguizamo's Freak, Sandra Bernhard's I'm Still Here...Damn It. West End credits include: Piaf, Monty Python's Spamalot, Frost/Nixon, Guys & Dolls directed by Michael Grandage, Mary Stuart, A Voyage Round My Father, Sunday in the Park with George. She has also produced Bounce by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman directed by Harold Prince at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Her Off-Broadway credits include De La Guarda Villa Villa, The Last Five Years, Goodnight Children Everywhere, the U.S. National Tour of Frost/Nixon and the U.S. National tour and Vegas productions of Monty Python's Spamalot. In 2005, Mrs. Madover formed "The Living Room for Artists" a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization to sustain and support the Summer Play Festival (SPF) which was first presented in 2004. SPF formed an alliance with The Public Theater and had a relationship with the Donmar Warehouse through its creation of the Playwright Residency Program. Mrs. Madover is a Vice Chair, Executive Committee member and the head of Commercial Projects Committee on the Board of Trustees at The Public Theater and is on the Board of Governors for The Broadway League. She is an Emeritus member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and a past Board member of The Dalton School. Mrs. Madover is also a member of the Juilliard Drama Council and has been listed in Crain's 40 under 40 and was one of Cosmopolitan's Fun Fearless Females.

RENÉE BEAUMONT (Co-Chair), a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co., will soon join Providence Equity Partners as their Global Head of Business Development. At Goldman Sachs, MS. Beaumont was responsible for Global Capital Raising for the Merchant Banking Division. Prior to March 2009, MS. Beaumont ran the power and energy and communications investing for the Infrastructure Fund at Goldman Sachs. Before joining Goldman in 2004, MS. Beaumont was a corporate attorney at Shearman & Sterling for six years in the corporate finance division. MS. Beaumont is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Public Theater and a member of the corporate governance and nominations committee and was the co-chair of the Young Partners for almost a decade. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for ReadWorks and a member of their finance committee. MS. Beaumont was also a member of the Canadian National Volleyball Team.

THE DELACORTE THEATER officially opened in Central Park on June 18, 1962 with The Merchant of Venice, directed by Joseph Papp and Gladys Vaughan and featuring George C. Scott as Shylock. The Merchant of Venice was followed that summer by a production of The Tempest, directed by Gerald Freedman and featuring Paul Stevens as Prospero and James Earl Jones as Caliban. The first Delacorte summer season concluded with King Lear, directed by Joseph Papp and Gladys Vaughan and featuring Frank Silvera as Lear. Since that time more than 150 productions have been presented for free at the Delacorte Theater. Highlights of past productions include Othello in 1964 with James Earl Jones; Hamlet in 1975 with Sam Waterston; The Taming of the Shrew in 1978 with Raul Julia and Meryl Streep; The Pirates of Penzance in 1980 with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt; Henry V in 1984 with Kevin Kline; Much Ado About Nothing in 1988 with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner; Richard III in 1990 with Denzel Washington; Othello in 1991 with Raul Julia and Christopher Walken; The Tempest in 1995 with Patrick Stewart; The Seagull in 2001 with Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Philip Seymour Hoffman; Mother Courage in 2006 with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline; Macbeth in 2006 with Liev Schreiber; HAIR in 2008 with Jonathan Groff and Will Swenson; Twelfth Night in 2009 with Anne Hathaway; The Merchant of Venice in 2010 with Al Pacino and Lily Rabe; the 2011 repertory productions of All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure; and most recently in 2012 As You Like It featuring Lily Rabe; and Amy Adams, Denis O'Hare, and Donna Murphy in the beloved musical Into The Woods.

Completed in October 2012, the revitalization of The Public Theater's downtown home at Astor Place physically manifests the Company's core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences by dramatically opening up its landmark building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. Designed by Ennead Architects and constructed by Westerman Construction, the project encompasses enhancements to the building's interior and exterior while preserving the historic structure. Key elements of the design include infrastructure updates to the 158-year old building, as well as construction of new exterior entry stair and glass canopy; installation of ramps for improved accessibility; an expanded and refurbished lobby; the addition of a mezzanine level with a new lounge, The Library at The Public, designed by the Rockwell Group; expansion and remodeling of restroom facilities; and comprehensive exterior restoration, ensuring stability of the landmark façade.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities. www.publictheater.org