Goodspeed Musicals to Honor Kristin Chenoweth and Hoffman Auto Group; Alan Cumming to Present

Goodspeed Musicals will proudly honor the Hoffman Auto Group on Saturday, August 11, 2012 with the very first Goodspeed Musicals Arts & Business Partnership Award. Each year, Goodspeed Musicals honors a well-known member of the musical theatre community at its Gala celebration. This year, Goodspeed Musicals is pleased to add to the festivities the Goodspeed Arts & Business Partnership Award, recognizing that local businesses play a critical role in the well-being of our communities, especially when they support the arts. As a vital economic engine in the region, Goodspeed understands first-hand the importance of arts and business partnerships, and so is pleased to launch this new award, honoring annually a prominent member of the Connecticut business community who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the arts and culture.

“Goodspeed is delighted to honor Jeffrey, Bradley, and Matthew Hoffman for their long time support of Goodspeed, and for their dedication to so many arts organizations across the state,” said Michael Price, Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals. “Their leadership in supporting the arts reminds us all that our state is a better place when businesses and arts organizations work together to improve our communities.” Hoffman Auto Group is known not only for its tradition of unparalleled dedication to customer service, but also its contribution to Connecticut’s philanthropic landscape. In addition to its very generous support of Goodspeed Musicals, the Hoffman family supports many other non-profits across a broad range of sectors, including education, the arts, and healthcare.

As previously announced, Goodspeed will also honor Emmy and Tony-Award winner Kristin Chenoweth with The Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre. Ms. Chenoweth, who appeared as Annie Draper in Goodspeed’s production of Strike Up The Band, is well known for effortlessly transitioning between stage, television and film with the captivating grace that only she can project.

The Honorary Chair for this Gala event will be Alan Cumming, who will also present the award to Kristin Chenoweth. Cumming played Rooster to Ms. Chenoweth’s Lily in the 1999 movie remake of Annie. He is currently playing Eli Gold on the hit television show “The Good Wife” and won the Tony Award for his 1998 turn as the EmCee in Cabaret.

The star-studded honorary committee will include Rob Ashford, Kristen Bell, Matthew Broderick, John DeLuca, Danny DeVito, Nora Ephron, Robert Harling, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Peter G. Kelly, Simon Konover, Andrew Lippa, Matthew Morrison, Joe Mantello, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Marshall, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Annie Potts, Stephen Schwartz, Stacey Snider, Susan Stroman, Rita Wilson, BD Wong, and Chely Wright.

Proceeds from the Gala will support Goodspeed Musicals’ Education Programs through The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.

Individual tickets start at $500, while tables of ten can be purchased for $5,000 and up. For gala ticket and commemorative journal ad information, please call Caitlin Quinn at 860.873.8664, extension 367.

Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. The first regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.

In 1921, Hoffman Auto Group was founded by Israel Hoffman with the acquisition of a Ford franchise in New Hartford, CT. After joining his father in the business in 1946, Burton C. Hoffman provided the leadership in which the company flourished not only in size, but also as a philanthropic leader within the community. After almost 100 years, Hoffman Auto Group is regarded as one of the most successful family-owned businesses in the state. With locations in three Connecticut towns – East Hartford, Avon/Simsbury, and New London – the company is comprised of ten brands: Ford, Saab, Lexus, Audi, Lincoln, Porsche, Toyota, Scion, Honda, and Nissan. In conjunction with their new car dealerships, Hoffman also has a premium used-vehicle dealership, H Lot Live. In addition to its sales, service, parts and body-shop departments, the company also consists of an information technology department, a business development center containing an internet sales and social media department, and an in-house advertising and public relations department. Hoffman Auto Group is led today by Jeffrey S. Hoffman, I. Bradley Hoffman, and Matthew S. Hoffman. For more information, visit www.hoffmanauto.com. Hoffman Auto Group – Driven By Trust.

Many remember Emmy and Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth’s show-stealing, Tony-winning performance in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. Kristin was most recently seen on Broadway as Fran Kubelik in the revival of Promises, Promises starring alongside Sean Hayes at the Broadway Theatre. Other stage credits include the Encores! productions Music in the Airand Stairway to Paradise, The Apple Tree at Roundabout Theatre Company and Steel Pier.

Ms. Chenoweth is currently in the midst of her debut world tour in which she will perform songs from her latest album “Some Lessons Learned,” as well as an array of her most memorable songs and Broadway show tunes. Chenoweth has explored numerous and diverse roles for television including “Pushing Daisies” for which she received an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, “Glee”, “The West Wing” and guest judge on “American Idol”. In addition Kristin has played Marian Paroo in ABC’s movie version of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. Chenoweth recently starred in the ABC show “GCB” as Darlene, alongside Leslie Bibb and Annie Potts. On the big screen she has appeared in such films as Deck the Halls with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick, RV with Robin Williams, Bewitchedwith Nicole Kidman, Running with Scissors with Annette Bening, and The Pink Panther with Steve Martin.