Amas Musical Theatre to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR

Amas Musical Theatre will celebrate its 58th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit on Monday, May 11, 2026 at “Rosetta's Place” at Penthouse 45 (432 West 45th Street - NYC). 

Guests will be transported into “Rosetta's Place,” a speakeasy cabaret setting for a very special evening beginning at 6:00pm with cocktails and passed hors d'ouvres. At 7:30pm the entertainment begins with a 50th Anniversary concert performance of the 1976 Broadway musical Bubbling Brown Sugar, directed by Jonathan S. Cerullo. The cast and further details will be forthcoming.

“Bubbling Brown Sugar put Amas on the map. It was written by Loften Mitchell and our own Rosetta LeNoire as a celebration of the spirit and music of Harlem” says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Artistic Producer. “In fact, we were introduced to Carla Hall because in interviews she mentioned Bubbling Brown Sugar as her favorite show, so we reached out to her and are thrilled that she can be with us. We are creating a cabaret environment in this lovely penthouse with beautiful city views to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of this seminal show with a cadre of top of the line Broadway talent.”

The evening will benefit Amas Musical Theatre's education and theatre programs.

Since 1968, Amas has been a force in New York City, developing and producing new American musicals, a pioneer in non-traditional casting and multiculturalism, and a forerunner of theatre arts education for underserved young people.

Amas Musical Theatre was the inspiration of a pioneering figure in the American theatre, Rosetta LeNoire (1911-2002), an African-American actress who began her career as a child performer “planted” in audiences by her godfather, the legendary Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Rosetta founded Amas (Latin for “you love”), a non-profit performing arts organization, to combat racism, proclaiming “We are all flowers in God's glorious bouquet, every one of us, every color!”

From the beginning, Amas has sought to bring together people of all backgrounds, colors, and ethnic origin through musical theatre, and education programs have always been integral to the mission. Amas became the first voice of multiculturalism in theatre, and America's founding exponent of diversity, long before the term became a corporate mantra. Rosetta insisted on multi-ethnic casting in every show she produced and, in a few seasons, Amas emerged as an influential new force in the theatre, especially after she conceived the groundbreaking Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1973, which became a Broadway and touring sensation.

In 1999, President Clinton awarded the National Medal of Arts to Rosetta as “an individual deserving of special recognition by reason of her outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States." Actors' Equity Association acknowledges Rosetta and Amas' contribution to the American theatre by annually bestowing the Rosetta LeNoire Award (“The Rosie Award”) on producers and theatre companies who exemplify her commitment to multicultural production and casting. Following in Rosie's footsteps, for the past 25 years, artistic producer Donna Trinkoff has continued to engrave the unique Amas trademark with musical theatre works that embrace different cultural perspectives while reaching out to underserved audiences.

Countless dramatists, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and actors have graced Amas stages over the past 58 years, including Maya Angelou, Micki Grant, Galt McDermott, Sheldon Epps, John Rando, Tom O'Horgan, Ossie Davis, Billie Allen, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Andre deShields, Leslie Uggams, Phylicia Rashad, Brad Oscar and Christopher Jackson. The contributions of these alumni, as well as the dedication of the talented roster of early career artists, speaks to the unique and important work of Amas – a laboratory for artists who share its vision of cultural equity and tell timeless stories that resonate deeply.

“We are enormously proud of our rich legacy over the past fifty plus years” says Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer. “We will continue to honor Rosie's vision as we look to the next 50 years.”