Tituss Burgess, Jenny Powers & More Celebrate Opening of Middle Collegiate Church

Broadway stars and award-winning visual artists celebrate the re-opening of the six-story Middle Collegiate Church House Friday, October 3 - Monday, October 6. The renovations include state-of-the-art accessible program space for arts and justice and a new elevator. Throughout the year Middle Church works for racial, economic, and LGBT justice. Middle Church has been in the headlines advocating for racial reconciliation after the killings of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin and as activists for marriage equality since the 1980s.

Broadway and television talent including Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown: The Musical), Tituss Burgess (Little Mermaid and Guys and Dolls), Jenny Powers (Grease and Little Women), Matt Cavenaugh (West Side Story and Urban Cowboy), Branch Woodman (Cinderella and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) and Lincoln Center soprano Tami Petty (Petite Messe Solenelle) and Aly+Tony (of the rock band BETTY) and more than forty visual artists celebrate the renovated Church House.

Festivities begin Friday, October 3 at 5:30 pm reception and tours of the renovated Church House, which features an art exhibit with more than 50 artworks including painting, photography, and sculpture speaking to the theme of "home" and "welcome" curated by Zen Browne and Beckett Logan.

Friday, October 3 at 7:00 pm, Aly+Tony, Alex Blaqstar, Tituss Burgess, Jenny Powers, Matt Cavenaugh, Tina Cernero, Cheryl Cochran, Kim Grier, and Allison Mickelson are among the artists at the Homecoming Showcase offering their song or dance to celebrate the re-opening.

On Sunday, October 5, worship celebrations at 11:15 am and the 6:00 pm will conclude with a ribbon cutting. The morning celebration will include offerings from the Middle Church Choir and the Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir and a dance choreographed by former Rockette Rev. Adriene Thorne.

The evening worship celebration, Art & Soul at 6:00 pm, will be feature Broadway and television actor Tituss Burgess and the Middle Community Chorus, a gospel ensemble including numerous theatre veterans.

At 8:00 pm, Charles Randolph-Wright (director of Motown: The Musical) premieres a reading of his new play, "The Crowd," written as a gift for Middle Collegiate Church.

And on Monday, October 6 at 7:00 pm, Broadway's Branch Woodman and opera soprano Tami Petty share their cabaret, "There's No Place Like. . ." with music from Broadway, opera, and popular culture.

For tickets and to donate to Middle Collegiate Church ministries that focus on racial, economic, and LGBT justice, visit: http://bit.ly/MIHomecoming2014.

Senior Minister The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis said, "We celebrate art in all forms at this reopening because our experience of art is an experience of God. During all social justice movements, art propelled our nation toward change. Whether it's the civil rights movement use of spirituals or how theatre and film helped share stories for LGBT justice, art opens our hearts and moves us to act. We are thrilled to open our renovated space that is a catalyst for arts and justice in our city."

The renovations to the original 1891 Church House were designed by Rosen Johnson Architects, PC. Middle Collegiate Church is a one of the Collegiate Churches of New York, which dates back to 1628. Middle Collegiate Church House is located at 50 East Seventh Street (between 2nd Avenue and 1stAvenue).