Caissie Levy, Adam Kantor & Jo Lampert To Perform at Jewish Queer Youth Gala

Theater and television stars Caissie Levy, Adam Kantor and Jo Lampert will perform, and comedian and advocate Dana Goldberg will host an upcoming gala supporting Jewish Queer Youth (JQY).

The JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) gala—directed by Emily Maltby and produced by Heather Shields and Robb Nanus—will take place Monday, March 16, at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The gala raises funds for JQY’s programs, including free mental health services, community-building events, and critical support for LGBTQ youth in need. Further details about the gala can be found here.

“We’re thrilled to welcome such an inspiring lineup of hosts and performers to this year’s gala,” said Rachael Fried, executive director of JQY. “Their visibility and energy send a powerful message to the Jewish queer teens and young adults we serve: you are celebrated, and you belong. At a time when young Jewish queer people are facing growing challenges, it’s more important than ever for adults and community leaders to show up proudly on their behalf and reaffirm our commitment to helping every Jewish queer young person live authentically.”

The organization’s annual gala will honor Tony Award-winning actor Brandon Uranowitz with the Jewish Queer Icon Award and Tony Award-winning producer Riva Marker with the Trailblazer Award, a recognition that will be presented at the annual gala for the first time.

Co-chaired by JQY board member and award-winning brand strategist Duvi Stahler and inaugural Jewish Queer Icon Awardee, Tony Award-winning producer Rachel Sussman, the host committee includes Tovah Feldshuh, Caissie Levy, Bess Kalb, Judy Kuhn, Joshua Malina, Cristin Milioti, Andrew Rannells, Jeanine Tesori, and Zachary Noah Piser, among others. A full host committee list can be found here.

Levy, who currently stars with Uranowitz in Lincoln Center Theater’s acclaimed revival of Ragtime, is an Olivier and Grammy-nominated veteran of Broadway and the West End. Levy previously originated the role of Elsa in Disney's Frozen on Broadway, starred in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt, and as Rose in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Caroline, or Change, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. She earned an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for starring in the UK premiere of Next to Normal in London's West End and at The Donmar Warehouse, which subsequently aired on PBS and is currently available on BroadwayHD.

Kantor won an Emmy and a Grammy for his performance in the Tony-winning Broadway production of The Band’s Visit, as well as an Outer Critics Circle honor for his performance in Darling Grenadine at Roundabout Theatre Company. Previously, on Broadway, Adam starred in Fiddler on the Roof, Next to Normal, and Rent(final cast, filmed live for Sony Pictures).

Lampert stars in the upcoming original work, LAST CALL with Lampert & Barsha, opening this spring at Long Wharf Theatre. She has also appeared off-Broadway in Orlando (Signature Theater), Sex Variants (Skirball), Open Throat (Little Island), The Tempest (Shakespeare in the Park), Hundred Days (NYTW), Joan in Joan of Arc: Into the Fire (Public Theater), Rimbaud in NY (BAM), and New York Animals (New Ohio), as well as numerous regional productions including Emcee in Cabaret (Guthrie Theater), Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Marie Antoinette (A.R.T./Yale REP), Prometheus Bound (A.R.T.). She has also appeared on television in roles on HBO’s BETTY, Amazon’s Transparent, Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and Hulu’s The Path.

In addition to headlining theaters and festivals, Goldberg has performed at and emceed hundreds of high-profile events, sharing the national stage with luminaries like President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Meryl Streep, Carol Burnett, Sir Elton John and countless others. Combining her gift of humor with humanitarian efforts, Dana has raised over $70M for non-profits around the country in the fight for LGBTQ rights, women's health, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention. She is the co-host of the GLAAD Media Award-nominated podcast The Daily Beans (one million monthly downloads) and is currently developing her first TV pilot and one-woman show with Soto Productions (Tony Award-winning Suffs and Laura Benanti’s Nobody Cares).