Classic Stage Company To Honor Anika Noni Rose And Ted Chapin At Annual Gala

Classic Stage Company's 2019 gala will honor Anika Noni Rose, whose singular performance in CSC's recent production of Carmen Jones propelled it to widespread acclaim, and Ted Chapin, visionary President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

The evening will celebrate Rodgers & Hammerstein's vast and indelible contributions to the theatrical canon as well as CSC's panoramic view of what constitutes a classic. The gala is chaired by Barbara Marks, with Phylicia Rashad and Santino Fontana serving as honorary chairs. The evening will begin at 6pm with cocktails, followed by dinner and the performance at 7pm. Capitale is located at 130 Bowery in Manhattan.

Members of CSC's community of artists-many of them veteran performers of works by Rodgers and / or Hammerstein-will perform songs by the great duo, directed by John Doyle. These include Victoria Clark, director of CSC's 2019 production of Strindberg's The Dance of Death; frequent CSC actor Eddie Cooper; Clifton Duncan and Lindsay Roberts, who performed alongside Anika Noni Rose in Carmen Jones; Claybourne Elder, who won praise in CSC's 2014 staging of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro; Alexander Gemignani, who appeared in the 2018 Broadway revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel; Judy Kuhn, cast member of John Doyle's upcoming CSC production of Sondheim & Weidman's Assassins; Rema Webb, who performed in CSC's 2019 production of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock; and surprise guests.

CSC's 2019-20 season kicks off a new production of Macbeth, directed by John Doyle and featuring real-life spouses Corey Stoll and Nadia Bowers as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, October 10 - December 15 (opening October 27). The season continues with a repertory presentation of adaptations of two legendary Gothic nightmares by emerging playwrights: Kate Hamill's reimagining of Dracula, directed by Sarna Lapine and starting January 14, 2020; and Tristan Bernays' adaptation of Frankenstein, beginning January 30, 2020. The season concludes with a new production of Assassins, which completes the trilogy of Sondheim/Weidman musicals John Doyle has directed and will feature Judy Kuhn, Steven Pasquale, Will Swenson, Wesley Taylor, Brandon Uranowitz, and others to be announced. The show, running April-June, 2020, is sure to be a highlight of Sondheim's 90th birthday year.