Update: Penny Fuller, Sally Mayes, Ali Stroker, and More Join Line-up for Drama Book Shop Benefit at 54 Below

By: Feb. 28, 2016
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Tony Award-nominees Penny Fuller (Applause, A New Brain, Dividing The Estate) and Sally Mayes (Closer Than Ever, She Loves Me) have joined the starry line-up for a Feinstein's/54Below's benefit concert for The Drama Book Shop. Also joining the roster is Ali Stroker, who recently made her debut in Deaf West's revival of Spring Awakening, and composer Nancy Ford (I'm Getting My Act Together...).

For 99 years, The Drama Book Shop has been a beloved New York institution, serving the theatrical community with the world's largest collection of theatre and film books. On the evening of Sunday, February 14th, The Tony Award-winning Drama Book Shop suffered a burst water pipe, destroying half the shop's inventory and doing extensive damage to the shop itself.

The legendary shop has been much-talked about lately, after Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) launched an internet campaign to bring sales into the flooded shop. In just a few short days, New York's theatrical community joined together to celebrate the shop -- and save it, too. Thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's #Ham4Ham video and Twitter campaign encouraging fans to #BuyABook, online sales sky-rocketed and in-store traffic doubled. With support from Howard Sherman and other theatre luminaries, many customers called in to order "$200 worth of books, doesn't matter what they are". In the past week, the small but much-loved book shop has appeared in The New York Times, on PIX11's Evening News, and more.

Now, stars of stage and shop employees will gather for a night of stories and songs to celebrate and benefit the legendary Drama Book Shop at Feinstein's/54 Below. The concert, scheduled for March 26th at 7pm, will feature many of the all-star Broadway talent who frequent the shop on a daily basis.

Set to appear in the concert are Alex Boniello (Spring Awakening), Chuck Cooper (Tony Award-winner, The Life, Caroline or Change, Amazing Grace)Bobby Cronin, David Cryer (The Phantom of the Opera, 1776, Chess), composer Nancy Ford, Penny Fuller (Applause, Dividing The Estate, A New Brain), Patti Mariano (The Full Monty, Rags, original cast member of The Music Man), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me, Closer Than Ever), Gabrielle Ruiz(Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, If/Then, In The Heights) and The Skvivies. Also featured are Phyllis Blanford, Britt Cryer, Janet Fanale, Kristen Gehling, James Horan, Polly McKie, The NYCity Slickers, Red Wine + Whiskey, Paul Thomas Ryan, Crystal Skillman, Vanessa Spica and Shawn Verrier with Steven Carl McCasland on piano. More names still to be announced!

The evening will also feature various auction and raffle items, including two tickets to HAMILTON, followed by a backstage meet-and-greet with the show's director, Thomas Kail.

Tickets are priced $40 (not including a $25 food/drink minimum) and all proceeds will benefit The Drama Book Shop. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended as limited seating remains. For tickets, please visit http://54below.com/artist/a-benefit-for-the-drama-book-shop/.

Feinstein's/54 Below is located at 254 West 54th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, next door to Studio 54.



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