Kathleen Marshall to be Honored at Transport Group's Annual A TOAST TO THE ARTIST Gala

Transport Group has announced that its annual A Toast to the Artist gala will honor former Transport Group executive director Lori Fineman and Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall with the Transporting American Theatre Award. The evening takes place Monday, April 6 at 6:30pm at Current, Pier 59 @ Chelsea Piers, and includes a cocktail party, seated dinner, performances, dessert reception, and silent and live auctions. The Transporting American Theatre Award recognizes significant contributions to the American Theatre. Past recipients of the Transporting American Theatre Award include Carmel Dean, Michael Starobin, Dick Scanlan, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Michael John LaChiusa, Gretchen Shugart, Barbara Whitman, Beth Williams, Sue Frost, Christian Borle, Paul Huntley, Douglas Carter Beane, Lewis Flinn, A.R. Gurney, Liz Smith, Barbara Frietag, Terrence McNally, and Joe Mantello among others. Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased at transportgroup.org.

Lori Fineman became Transport Group's first executive director in 2007-after having worked as a volunteer and board member for three years-and served in the position until 2019. Prior to joining Transport Group she worked as a management consultant for Andersen Consulting and Capco, a financial services consulting firm. She is currently the producer of an immersive, interactive rock 'n roll experience, Reunion, and a new musical, Chasing Rainbows, about Judy Garland's road to Oz. Lori is a board member and former treasurer of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre and is the former president of the Jewish Community Project. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Lori holds a BA in theatre arts and a BSE in management from the Wharton School. Lori and her husband Steve and their three sons live downtown.

Director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall is the recipient of three Tony Awards-for outstanding choreography for Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game, and Anything Goes-as well as six other nominations. She has also received three Drama Desk and three Outer Critics' Circle awards, as well as Emmy and Olivier nominations. Ms. Marshall's Broadway credits include In Transit; Nice Work If You Can Get It; Anything Goes (2011 revival with Sutton Foster); Grease (2007 revival); The Pajama Game (2006 revival with Harry Connick, Jr.); Wonderful Town (2003 revival); Little Shop of Horrors; Follies (2001 revival); Kiss Me, Kate ( revival); 1776 (1997 revival); and Swinging on a Star. She collaborated with her brother, Rob Marshall, on direction and/or choreography for Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me (2003 revival), Damn Yankees (1994 revival), Victor/Victoria, and Seussical. For four years beginning in 1996, she served as artistic director of the acclaimed Encores series. For television Ms. Marshall directed the adaptations of "Once Upon a Mattress" (starring Tracy Ullman, Zoey Deschanel, Mathew Morrison and Carol Burnett) and "The Music Man" (starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth)--and served as a judge on the NBC reality series "Grease: You're the One That I Want." Ms. Marshall hails from Pittsburgh and began her theatre at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. She is a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School and Smith College where in 2009 she received the Smith College Medal. Ms. Marshall is married to producer Scott Landis and is mother to twins Nathaniel and Ella.

Transport Group's next production is a revival of Meredith Willson's The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which is directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and stars Beth Malone. The production plays February 8 - March 22, has music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, with additional songs from his catalog, and a new book, based on the original book by Richard Morris, and new lyrics by Tony Award nominee Dick Scanlan. The music is adapted by Michael Rafter.

Transport Group's annual gala benefit takes place Monday, April 6, 2020 at Current, Pier 59 @ Chelsea Piers. Cocktails begin at 6:30pm; seated dinner, performances, and award presentation begin at 7:30pm; dessert reception follows at 10:00pm. Ticket, e-journal tribute ad, contribution, and further information is available at transportgroup.org or phone 212-564-0333.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos