WNYC's Leonard Lopate to Host JOY TO THE PEARL Benefit Performance Next Month

On Sunday, December 7, The Pearl Theatre Company will present a one night only benefit performance of holiday readings, radio plays, and music hosted by WNYC's Leonard Lopate at the theatre company's home on 42nd Street. The special event will include selections of stories from Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, O. Henry, and many more performed by Members of The Pearl's Resident Acting Company including Dominic Cuskern, Jolly Abraham, Dan Daily (currently starring in Major Barbara), Chris Mixon, Carol Schultz and Brad Heberlee. Performing alongside Mr. Lopate and the Company will be the musical duo of Gelber & Manning, providing early jazz standards from Old New York.

The Pearl Theatre's Benefit Performance Joy to The Pearl will take place on Sunday, December 7 at 7:30pm at The Pearl Theatre (555 West 42nd Street), preceded by a reception at Rosebud Speakeasy Lounge at KTCHN (512 West 42nd Street). Tickets, starting at $85 (Members) and $100 (Non-Members), and packages, starting at $1,000, can be purchased online at pearltheatre.org/joy or by calling development manager Mary Fulweiler at 212 505-3401.

Next March 5, Leonard Lopate will celebrate his 30th anniversary as the host of WNYC's daily talk show The Leonard Lopate Show. Heavy-hitting writers, actors, ex-presidents, political figures, economists, scientists, comedians, dancers, chefs, historians, filmmakers and do-it-yourself experts have all sat down with Leonard Lopate in the WNYC studios for in-depth and personal conversations. The program has been honored with multiple awards for its work including a George Foster Peabody Award, three Associated Press Awards for Best Interview and three James Beard Awards for Best Shows on Food.

Lopate's career in radio began in 1977 at WBAI. For many years, he was the host of WBAI's program Round Midnight. Before radio found him, Lopate worked in advertising as an art director and copywriter. Lopate was born and raised in Brooklyn. He studied art at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College and Hunter College Graduate School. He knows just enough Cantonese to order the best dim sum in Chinatown.

The Pearl was founded in 1984 by Shepard Sobel and a small troupe of artists devoted to producing the great plays of the past and present. It has since grown into a celebrated Off-Broadway company, bringing the classics of world theatre to a wide-ranging audience.

The Pearl is the artistic home of a diverse company of theatre professionals, particularly a Resident Acting Company. The Pearl's commitment to classics and to our artistic community directly shapes programming. Every production is accompanied by educational and audience enrichment activities. The Pearl is devoted to engagement-to substantive conversation and to nurturing our community through the shared exploration of great works of art.