Lena Hall, Alex Brightman & More Will Celebrate the Drama League's 100th Birthday Tonight at Feinstein's/54 Below

The Drama League will celebrate a major milestone tonight that few organizations have achieved...its 100th year of service to the American theatre community. The 100th Birthday Party will be held tonight,January 11, 2016 at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 West 54th Street, Cellar). The sold-out celebration will include cocktails, dinner, speeches and musical performances recognizing the history, achievements, and future of the award-winning arts education organization.

The lineup for the evening's entertainment include Tony® Award winners Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago), John Gallagher, Jr. (American Idiot), and Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch); Broadway stars Cynthia Erivo(The Color Purple), Alex Brightman (School of Rock), Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), Julie Halston (You Can't Take It With You), Adam Kantor (Fiddler on the Roof), Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), KT Sullivan(Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and The Broadway Boys: Jesse Nager (Motown), Jesse Johnson (Wicked),Mike Backes (Jersey Boys), Jamarice Daughtry (Beautiful), Gabe Violett (Spring Awakening), and Stephen Michael Kane (Rock of Ages).

They will be joined in celebration by dozens of the 300+ alumni of The Drama League's 34-year-old educational initiative, The Directors Project, including directors Mark Brokaw (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella),West Hyler (Cirque du Soleil's upcoming Broadway musical Paramour), James Bundy (Artistic Director, Yale Repertory Theatre), Davis McCallum (Artistic Director, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), Cara Reichel(Producing Artistic Director, Prospect Theater Company), Jonathan Silverstein (Artistic Director, Keen Company), Michael Barakiva (Interim Artistic Director, Hangar Theatre), Michael Sexton (Artistic Director, The Shakespeare Society), Shelley Butler (Associate Director, It Shoulda Been You), Lisa Rothe, Stephen Brown-Fried, Michael Goldfried, Heidi Marshall, Johanna McKeon, David Mendizábal, Shakina Nayfack, Jerry Ruiz, Danny Sharron, and more. Drama League Directors Project alumna Hannah Ryan(Associate Director, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) directs.

The Drama League of New York, since 1916, has been at the forefront of the American Theatre community, providing talent, audiences, and prosperous support. It is one of the nation's oldest continuously-operating, not-for-profit arts advocacy and education organizations. Through its programs, initiatives and events, The Drama League serves over 3,000 artists and 15,000 Audience members each season with over 150 events and programs. More information can be found at www.dramaleague.org.

The 100th Birthday Party will also launch the organization's latest career development initiative for emerging artists, the Leo Shull New Musicals Fellowship. This all-new program, in partnership with the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre Company in Arlington, VA, will train early-career directors as part of SigWorks Musical Theatre Lab under the guidance of artistic director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway revival of Follies, Gigi) and Joe Calarco (Shakespeare's R&J). The fellowship has been named in honor of Leo Shull, the late theatrical impresario and publisher/editor of Show Business Weekly, through a sustaining gift by his daughter, Lee.

National Life Group® is the proud Centennial Season Sponsor of The Drama League. M.A.C. Cosmetics is the Official Makeup Partner of The Drama League.

National Life Group®, the Centennial Season Sponsor of The Drama League, doesn't make widgets or cars or computers. They make promises. Their goal, since the chartering of National Life Insurance Company in 1848, has been to work together to create a better financial future for each and every customer through innovative financial solutions and then to deliver on those commitments 10, 20, or 50 years down the road. This commitment is evident in our values which are Do good. Be good. Make good. National Life Group is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, VT, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest (LSW), Addison, TX and their affiliates. Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. LSW is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.dramaleague.org.