NEO2 Benefit to Feature Block, Foa, Rashad, Rupert & More

Tony Award-winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Dessa Rose) will host the star-studded "NEO2," a benefit concert for the York Theatre Company that will be presented on June 12th at 9 PM.

The concert follows the first "NEO," which took place three years ago. The benefit--celebrating "new, emerging, outstanding" songwriters--will feature performances by Stephanie J. Block (The Boy From Oz), Barrett Foa (Avenue Q) Cheyenne Jackson (All Shook Up), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Spelling Bee), Janine LaManna (Sweet Charity), Christiane Noll (Jekyll & Hyde), Phylicia Rashad (Bernarda Alba), Michael Rupert (Falsettos), Jim Stanek (Lestat), John Tartaglia (Avenue Q), and more to come. York Theatre is producing the evening in conjunction with event producer Margot Astrachan and creative producer Scott Alan. As with the first concert, it will be recorded by JAY Records.

Among the emerging composers/lyricists featured will be Jill Abramovitz and Joy Son, Scott Alan, Barbara Anselmi and Will Randall, David Austin, Neil Bartram, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Sam Davis and Georgia Stitt, Andrew Gerle, Jeff Hochhauser and Robert Johnston, Joe Iconis, Jihwan Kim and Sean Hartley, David Kirshenbaum and Adam Overett.

A "Dinner by the Bite" reception and silent auction will kick off the evening at 7:30 PM, and a champagne/dessert reception (featuring Taittinger Champagne) at 10:30 PM will follow the concert.

The York Theatre Company is located at Saint Peter's, 54th Street just east of Lexington. Seating is limited, and tickets range from $125-$500. To order them, call (212) 935-5820 or e-mail boxoffice@yorktheatre.org (write NEO tickets in the subject line). A limited number of $25 tickets are also available at the York Theatre box office, and will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis (cash only). The box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM.

Visit www.yorktheatre.org for more information.