Encore Hosts Annual ENCORE OVATION: A CELEBRATION OF AGING THROUGH ART

On Monday, December 4th, Encore Community Services will host Encore Ovation – A Celebration of Aging Through Art, honoring Paul Libin - Fr. George Moore Artistic Impact Award and Annette Bening - Paul Lucas Artistic Spirit Award.

Encore Ovation is presented by some of Broadway's most notable names, including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Broadway League President Charlotte St-Martin, and Tony Award-winner LaChanze.

Encore Ovation is a celebration of the importance of artistic expression as individuals age, as well as an evening to help Encore Community Services, which serves older New Yorkers on the West Side of Manhattan, to grow its arts programming and to increase social connection among its members and residents. In addition to arts programming, Encore provides nutrition services, housing, and numerous supportive resources to aging adults. The annual event will be hosted at Sardi's Restaurant in Midtown on Monday, December 4th. The program begins at 6:30 PM. 

“We're proud to honor the incomparable Paul Libin, and Annette Bening”,said Jeremy Kaplan, Executive Director of Encore Community Services. “Arts play an essential role in aging happily and healthily, and we thank our supporters who help us provide arts programming to older New Yorkers. Our committed supporters have ensured that we can provide our members with an encore for life”

Annette Bening, a celebrated figure in the world of cinema, is being recognized for her extensive career and her contributions to the arts, which align with the values and mission of Encore Community Services. The award, named after Paul Lucas, is presented to individuals who champion the overlooked and embody an artistic spirit that enriches the lives of others, particularly the aging community.

Paul Libin, an esteemed figure in the theater industry with a career spanning over six decades, is being honored at the Encore Ovation event with the prestigious Fr. George Moore Artistic Impact Award. Renowned for his tenure as executive vice president of Jujamcyn Theaters and his significant role as president of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Libin has been a pivotal force in theater production, contributing to over 250 Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring productions. His distinguished career, marked by numerous accolades, including the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, highlights his exceptional contributions to the arts and his enduring impact on the theater community.

Brian Stokes Mitchell, renowned as one of Broadway's leading men since the 1990s and celebrated for his powerful baritone voice, will be presenting at the Encore Ovation event. Equally notable is his commitment to the entertainment community, exemplified by his leadership as Chairman of the Board of the Actors Fund of America and his receipt of the Isabelle Stevenson Award in 2016 for his invaluable support to those in the industry during times of crisis or transition. Mitchell's presence as a presenter brings an added layer of prestige and inspiration to the Encore Ovation event.

Robert E. Wankel, Chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization, Inc., is chair of the event and a tireless advocate for the arts. Major sponsors of the event include The Shubert Organization, Broadway Cares, Broadway Across America, and The Times Square Alliance. 

Joe Benincasa, a distinguished figure in the entertainment industry, serves as the President and CEO of the Entertainment Community Fund, a national organization dedicated to supporting those in entertainment and the performing arts. He joined the Fund in 1989 and leads initiatives across comprehensive social services, health care, employment, training, and housing. Mr. Benincasa is a longtime and valued supporter of Encore Community Services. 

The Fr. George Moore Artistic Impact Award is named after Encore's beloved co-founder and former pastor of St. Malachy's, the award is presented annually to artists who have dedicated themselves to the arts and to organizations that foster creativity. Father Moore, along with Sisters Elizabeth Hasselt and Lillian McNamara, and members of the Broadway community (including The Shubert Organization, Sardi's, and the theatrical unions) turned the old Actor's Chapel in the basement of St. Malachy's into Encore Senior Center, where it still thrives today, giving back to over 5,000 aging New Yorkers each year.

Encore believes arts programming, in addition to other supportive services, is essential for older adults. More than 40 percent of Americans over 65 regularly experience feelings of loneliness, and these feelings can increase health risks and cause serious health problems, which deter seniors from aging successfully in place. Since the global pandemic began, social isolation has become an even greater issue among the aging.

The mission of Encore Community Services is to provide care and service to the elderly of the Clinton/Times Square/Midtown communities, and to any elderly person who comes to us; to assist those who are vulnerable and frail, poor and homeless, homebound and lonely, frequently desperate, most often ignored; to help them with their daily needs that they might live as independently as possible, with dignity and decency, in a non-institutional manner, in a safe and caring environment. We believe we are all part of the human family and have an obligation to love one another. By nurturing, respecting and enabling, Encore hopes to improve the quality of an older person's life, in an approach that emanates from the core of Encore's commitment: we believe that what we do comes from the heart, and the heart is the center of all.

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