Rosie's Theater Kids 2025 Gala To Honor James Monroe Iglehart And Leslie Ziff

Rosie's Theater Kids will host its annual Passing It On Gala: An Evening of Mentorship, which will be held on Monday, May 5 at 583 Park Avenue. This year's event is hosted by comedian Judy Gold and will honor Tony Award-winning actor, writer, and director James Monroe Iglehart and philanthropist Leslie Ziff. The event will be helmed by RTKids Artistic Director Lisa Danser. 

The evening will begin at 6:30 PM with dinner followed by an honoree presentation and an exciting gala show featuring performances from Lauren Blackman, Nikki Renee Daniels, Danielle Hope, Derek Klena, and Jaygee Macapugay, as well as performances from Rosie's Theater Kids with this year's mentors Olivia Donalson, Karla Puno Garcia, Tiffany Mann, Mayte Natalio, Caitlin Trainor, and BD Wong. 

RTKids uses musical theater and arts education to teach important life skills and enrich the lives of thousands of underserved New York City public school students. Year-round classes in music, dance, and drama enhance students' self-confidence while they work collaboratively with one another to share in the power of creating and performing. 

Individual tickets, tables of 10, and sponsorships can be secured at https://rosiestheaterkids.org/gala2025/, by email at rtkids@buckleyhallevents.com, or by calling 914-573-1000.

James Monroe Iglehart is a multi-award winning actor from stage and screen. A Broadway veteran, he co-directed and starred as Louis Armstrong in A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include King Arthur in the Broadway revival of Monty Python's Spamalot, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Hamilton in the dual roles of Marquee de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, and freestyle love supreme. He is mostly known for his Tony Award-winning role as Genie in Disney's Aladdin the Musical. He has been seen on TV in shows like the Netflix series "Maniac," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Elementary," "Law & Order: SVU," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." He is an Emmy-nominated voice actor lending his voice to many animated characters from Disney, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks and Apple TV. His greatest joys are his beautiful grown children and his marriage to his lovely wife Dawn for over 20 years.

Leslie Ziff is committed to serving organizations that aim to transform people's lives through the arts and community service. A strong believer in community-based activism and philanthropy, Ms. Ziff is engaged in initiatives focused on promoting the performing arts, protecting the environment, and helping underserved children and those struggling with food insecurity.  Professionally trained as a dancer, Ms. Ziff was educated in a variety of styles, including classical ballet and modern dance. She began her professional career in Seattle, going on to dance with several New York-based companies, including Trainor Dance and Steeledance, before her retirement in 2016. She has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Ballet Theatre and Rosie's Theater Kids. She is the proud mother of three amazing girls, Lillian, Sofia, and Mila, who bring not only joys, both big and small, but an abundance of love to her life each day.  Ms. Ziff has remained committed to many of the organizations that began her philanthropic endeavors, including Rosie's Theater Kids.  ABOUT ROSIE'S THEATER KIDS

Rosie's Theater Kids (RTKids) was launched in 2003 at PS 51, a Title I public school bordering on the theater district where students would walk by Broadway theaters daily, and never have the opportunity to go inside. Rosie noticed this, and thought it was, “…like living in Hawaii, and never having access to the beach.”

Together with Rosie, Founding Artistic and Executive Director Lori Klinger developed PS Broadway – RTKids foundational program. In 2003, all 40 fifth graders at PS 51 participated in 15 weeks of singing and dancing training, and every single fifth grader went to see their first Broadway show – all free of charge.