Eva Noblezada, Billy Eichner and More Join Blue Roses Project Advisory Board

Blue Roses Project, a New Orleans–based artist's retreat dedicated to supporting emerging queer playwrights formed by Tony-nominated Gideon Glick and director/producer James Will McBride, has formed its inaugural Artistic Advisory Board. The board includes:

Bryan Batt

Recently made his London debut in Here Comes J. Edgar! He's best known as Salvatore Romano on 'Mad Men,' with Broadway, film, and TV credits, plus three published books.

Lisa D'Amour

New Orleans-born playwright whose work, including the Pulitzer finalist Detroit, has been produced on Broadway and at theaters worldwide. She's won two OBIE Awards and the Alpert, Steinberg, and Doris Duke Artist honors.

Billy Eichner

Creator and star of 'Billy on the Street,' the Emmy-nominated comedy game show turned TikTok phenomenon. He co-wrote, starred in, and produced Bros, and appears in the upcoming Judgment Day. His audiobook Billy on Billy is streaming now.

Raúl Esparza

A four-time Tony nominee known for his work in the Broadway musicals Company and the upcoming Galileo and TV roles in 'Law & Order: SVU' and 'The Good Fight.' His numerous honors include the OBIE and three Drama Desk Awards.

Eva Noblezada

Grammy Award winner and Tony-nominated actress known for leading roles in Broadway and West End musicals, including Miss Saigon, Hadestown, The Great Gatsby, and Cabaret.

Noah J. Ricketts

Broke out as Frankie in Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers' opposite Matt Bomer, and originated Nick Carraway in Broadway's The Great Gatsby. He's also known for 'American Gods,' 'High Fidelity,' and Disney's Frozen: The Musical.

Paula Vogel

A Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind How I Learned to Drive, Indecent, and Mother Play, produced internationally and honored in the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She founded Brown University's playwriting program and later held the O'Neill Chair at Yale. In June 2020, she founded Bard at the Gate, a uniquely curated virtual reading series designed to become a widely accessible platform for powerful, overlooked plays by BIPOC, female, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists.

Jamie Wax

Recently made his Broadway debut as a playwright with Call Me Izzy, starring Jean Smart. An Emmy-winning journalist and longtime CBS News correspondent, he's also a performer and composer whose work has aired nationally on PBS.

About Blue Roses Project

Founded in response to the growing challenges facing new play development — and the increasing barriers confronting the queer community — Blue Roses Project was created to foster bold new voices through intensive week-long residencies and 29-hour readings.

In its first year, Blue Roses Project produced its inaugural reading, Red Tide by Dom Martello, directed by Obie Award winner Jack Serio. The organization has also begun building partnerships with arts organizations in both New Orleans and New York as it works to cultivate a national community centered on emerging playwrights and adventurous new work.

The newly formed Artistic Advisory Board will serve as a circle of trusted artists helping guide the organization's creative vision as it grows—keeping the growth and well being of artists as its central tenant. Board members will offer artistic counsel, support long-term vision for the organization's future, and lend their voices and perspectives to the development of Blue Roses Project as an artistic home for new work and queer storytelling.