VIDEO: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Todrick Hall, Jason Alexander and More Take Part in MOMENTS IN THE WOODS GALA

Stars in the House presented star-studded gala and telethon with French Woods Festival of the Arts partnering with the Hancock-French Woods Arts Alliance this past Sunday, August 16th. The virtual Gala reached over 20,000 views throughout the Stars In The House network and raised $26,000 with 100% of the proceeds supporting the College Arts Scholarship Fund. Although the evening goal was $150,000; donations are still accepted through their website http://hfwaa.org/virtual-gala.

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The evening, "Moments in the Woods" featured appearances by notable French Woods alumni and committed French Woods community members including Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Mary Poppins Returns), Todrick Hall (RuPaul's Drag Race, Kinky Boots, Waitress, The Color Purple), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Disney's Cinderella, The Producers), composer/lyricist Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, SMASH, Mary Poppins Returns), Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, Wicked, In the Heights), composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown (Honeymoon in Vegas, 13, Parade, Songs for a New World), Andréa Burns (On Your Feet!, In the Heights, Songs for a New World), Melissa Errico (My Fair Lady, White Christmas, Amour), Seth Rudetsky (Disaster!, The Ritz, SiriusXM), James Wesley (Concert for America, Stars in the House), Nya (Caroline, Or Change), Max von Essen (An American in Paris, Anastasia), Kathryn Allison (Aladdin, Wicked, Company), Eve Lindley (Dispatches from Elsewhere, All We Had), Ryan Silverman (Side Show, Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera), Georgia Stitt & Family (Snow Child, Samantha Spade), Doug Shapiro (Once Upon A Mattress), Caitlin Kinnunen (The Prom, The Bridges of Madison County), Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away), Max Crumm (Disaster!, Grease, Emojiland), Tiger Brown (Elf, Beauty and the Beast), Talia Suskauer (Be More Chill, Wicked), Fergie L. Philippe (Hamilton), Olivia Dei Cicchi (Les Misérables), Anthony Nunziata, Michael Kushner (Dear Multi-Hyphenate, The Dressing Room Project), Gabe Greenspan (Dinner with Dad, Solve it Squad), Will Bellamy (Finian's Rainbow), Justin Albinder (Jersey Boys), Josh Freilich (The Alien Logs of Super Jewels), Victor Legra (The People's Court), Tucker (Saturday Night Live), Kirrilee Berger (Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins), Paloma Aisenberg, Danny Feldman (HIDE AND SEEK), Alé Lopez, Mariana Goldlust, D. Steele Hamme, Ben Caplan, Adrian Ruz (Jungle Book), and Devan Hibbard. The night featured a special appearance by the 2008 camp cast of 'Spelling Bee and the 2019 camp cast of Violet. Moments in the Woods was produced by Michael Kushner, Cameron Stefanski, Rose Robinson, Victor Legrá, and Brian Worsdale. Moments in the Woods was directed by Michael Kushner.

Moments in the Woods - aired on Sunday, August 16 at 7 pm featured a full length telethon putting the spotlight on a roster of notable French Woods alumni and committed French Woods Community Families coming together to raise money for an emergency relief fund that benefits financially in-need college students committed to the arts. The impact of COVID-19 all but destroyed HFWAA's traditional fundraising that relied heavily on registered French Woods families and vendors. By calling (607) 637-8400 during the event, viewers will be able to donate to HFWAA.

Rose Robinson, the Executive Director of HFWAA for the last ten years, notes that "...this past school year we afforded a record 22 college students "last chance" funding of almost $200,000 for either tuition or room and board with more worthy applications coming in. We cannot allow these kids to delay their education and training."

The live streamed "virtual gala" provided entertainment, conversation, candid interviews, and some unforgettable moments in the performing arts world.

"This is a great opportunity for viewers across the globe to forget COVID-19 and sit back and be entertained, to laugh, to remember..., " said Ron Schaefer, who is the visionary behind French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts.

Throughout the event, viewers were encouraged to make donations to Hancock-French Woods Arts Alliance Moments from the Woods Emergency Fund. The College Arts Scholarship Fund (www.hfwaa.org/donate) is now open.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and theatres across the world closing their curtains indefinitely, SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky and his husband, producer James Wesley have created Stars in the House, a daily live streamed series to support The Actors Fund and its services.

With new shows airing daily at 2 PM ET and 8 PM ET, Stars in the House is a combination of music, community, and education (from CBS Chief Medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook) located on the Actors Fund YouTube Channel. With musical performances by stars remotely from their home and conversations with Seth and James between each tune, viewers can also donate to the charity and interact with the guests in real time. Stars in the House raised over $50,000 in the first four days of airing. Guests include Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Lithgow, Jason Alexander, Kristin Chenoweth as well as couples confined together like Audra McDonald and Will Swenson, Frozen composers Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, writers Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond, and many more. Stars in the House plans to stream daily until Broadway re-opens.