Photo Flash: Steven Eng, Michelle McGorty, And Harriet Slaughter Honored At Prospect Theater Company's 2019 Gala

Prospect Theater Company celebrated twenty years of bringing to life original musical theater works at their 2019 Gala at Manhattan Penthouse in New York on April 8.

Tony and Grammy Award nominated actress Ashley Park (Mean Girls, KPOP) hosted the evening's festivities which included cocktails, dinner and a concert event featuring favorite songs from Prospect's history. Chanel Karimkhani, Andrew Mayer, Lilli Thomas, Skyler Volpe, Cathryn Wake, members of the cast of The Hello Girls, the company's recent Off-Broadway hit, were featured in an encore performance, alongside a line-up of other Broadway friends and Prospect artists including Ali Ewoldt, Devin Ilaw, Jason Ma, Diane Phelan, Hansel Tan, Hillary Fisher, Ben Moss, Mia Pinero, Ashley Park, Destinee Rea, LaDonna Burns, Tia DeShazor, A.J. Shively, Mary Kate Morrissey, Jennifer Blood, David Perlman, Simone Zamore and Bob Stillman.

The performances were directed by Christine O'Grady, with music direction by Andy Roninson on piano, Kiku Enomoto on violin, Brian Sanders on cello and Matt Scharfglass on bass.

The Gala honored three extraordinary leaders in Prospect's community: Lucille Lortel nominee Steven Eng, Michelle McGorty, and Harriet Slaughter. The pivotal support of these champions has helped the organization thrive, and Prospect celebrated their contributions as the company looks ahead to a bright future.

The evening also recognized two decades of commitment and vision from the co-Founders of Prospect: Melissa Huber, Peter Mills, Cara Reichel, and Tony Vallés.

Steven Eng's relationship with Prospect spans over a decade, beginning as an actor with the 2007 musical workshop of Honor. That would lead to subsequent performances with Prospect, and in the last several years to a producing partnership with Na! tional Asian Artists Project (NAAP), the non-profit he co-founded in 2009. NAAP's mission is to showcase the works of Asian-American theater artists through performance, outreach and educational programming.

Nina Zoie Lam was on hand to celebrate her NAAP co-founder. Honor original cast members Ali Ewoldt and Diane Phelan were joined by Devin Ilaw, Jason Ma and Hansel Tan to performed "One Time, One Meeting" in tribute to Mr. Eng, and Frozen's Jelani Alladin, a former student, presented him with his award.

A professional actor for over 20 years, Mr. Eng continues to perform (2018 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for Pacific Overtures), direct (NAAP/Prospect's 2018 Into the Woods), and teach on the faculty of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where his work as a voice, speech/text authority has also be presented at the national conferences of the! Voice and Speech Trainers Association. As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, Mr. Eng has been interviewed on NPR and other medial outlets and served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. In May, he'll appear in four performances of Jason Ma's Gold Mountain in Utah as part of the Spike 150 celebration. Gold Mountain was most recently presented at TheTimesCenter in New York City by the National Asian Artists Project (NAAP) in partnership with Prospect Theater Company as a part of their 2017 IGNITE series.

Michelle McGorty's interest in musical theater started in the late 70's, when her parents took her to a touring production of CATS. An avid performer from that moment on, she joined the Princeton University Triangle Club in college, where she served as the Vice President and Tour Manager, and met future Prospect founders Cara Reichel, Peter Mills and Melissa Huber. As one of Prospect's earliest advocates, she! joined its Board of Directors in 2005 and served through 2014, championing productions such as Golden Boy of the Blue Bridge and The Underclassman and helping the company grow by launching its first Gala. A positive force in all her endeavors, after graduating from Princeton, Ms. McGorty earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and spent 12 years Booz Allen Hamilton before experimenting with "mompreneurship" via her baking company, Sweet McG's. She is currently the Triangle Club's Alumni Board Secretary, where she continues to support young artists.

Harriet Slaughter has been a life-long advocate for the arts, including theater, dance, poetry and visual art. Her career began as a triple-threat performer on the stage - including the original Inherit the Wind and the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. Ms. Slaughter then went on to serve in senior executive leadership positions for Town Hall, Actors' Equity, and The Br! oadway League. As co-president of the League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), she co-produced the Women in Theatre TV series for CUNY-TV, hosted by Linda Winer of Newsday. For her achievements, she was honored by the New York Women's Agenda with their Galaxy Award. Long a supporter of women in the arts, she was first introduced to Cara Reichel and the work of the Prospect Theater Company through the LPTW's Lucille Lortel Committee and has since remained an avid Prospect supporter. She published a book of her original poetry and paintings, ARS POETICA and her paintings have also appeared in galleries in New York City. She regularly features her poetry at various venues on Long Island, where she now resides.

Proceeds from the evening will support Prospect's mission to bring to life new musical theater by emerging theater artists.

This Spring, Prospect Theater Company is presenting a workshop staging of American Morning, with book, music! and lyrics by Timothy Huang, from May 8 - 19, in the Mezzanine Theatre at the A.R.T./New York Theatres. Marlo Hunter directs. The cast features James Seol, Hansel Tan, Andew Cristi, Chil Kong, Daniel Le, Dorcas Leung, Aaron Phillips and Isabel Santiago. For tickets and more information, click www.ProspectTheater.org.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang

Honorees Harriet Slaughter, Michelle McGorty and Steven Eng

Jason Ma, Hansel Tan, Andy Roninson, Diane Phelan, Matt Scharfglass, Ali Ewoldt and Devin Ilaw

Hansel Tan, Devin Ilaw, honoree Steven Eng, Nina Zoie Lam, Jason Ma, Diane Phelan and Ali Ewoldt

Steven Eng and Ashley Park

FROZEN's Jelani Alladin, a former student, presented Steven Eng with his award

Timothy Huang and Prospect's Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel

Co-chair Jane Abramson, Honorees Harriet Slaughter, Michelle McGorty, Steven Eng and Co-chair Tira Harpaz

Prospect Board members Julie Miller and Stephanie Grayson

Honoree Steven Eng with his NAAP co-founder Nina Zoie Lam

AMERICAN MORNING star Hansel Tan, creator Timothy Huang with Destinee Rea

Honoree Steven Eng with Tony Vallés

Prospect's Board President Jesse Kearney with Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel

Hansel Tan, Devin Ilaw, Julie Miller, honoree Steven Eng, Nina Zoie Lam, Jason Ma, Diane Phelan and Ali Ewoldt

GOLD MOUNTAIN creator Jason Ma with Ali Ewoldt.

Ali Ewoldt and Devin Ilaw.

Kimbirdlee Fadner, honoree Steven Eng, Kristi Hutchinson-Towey and Nina Zoie Lam

Destinee Rea and Hansel Tan

GOLD MOUNTAIN creator Jason Ma and AMERICAN MORNING creator Timothy Huang

Steven Eng and his mom, Ping Fong Ng

Brenda Wong, Tomas Sander, Steven Eng, Ping Fong Ng, Lasse Faabeng, Sandra Faabeng

Tomas Sander, Brenda Wong, Nina Zoie Lam, Ping Fong Ng, honoree Steven Eng, Sandra Faabeng and Lasse Faabeng

Devin Ilaw, Ali Ewoldt, Jason Ma, Diane Phelan and Hansel Tan

A guest, Elise Marie Selah, Hillel Friedman and Tira Harpaz

Hansel Tan, Diane Phelan, Jason Ma, Ali Ewoldt and Devin Ilaw

Hansel Tan, who will star in Timothy Huang''s AMERICAN MORNING, with Devin Ilaw

LaDonna Burns

The band: BrIan Sanders, Andy Roninson, Kiki Enomoto and Matt Scharfglass

A SHANGHAI LIL reunion with Jason Ma, Jeanne Sakata, honoree Steven Eng and Timothy Huang

Diane Phelan, Lia Chang and Ali Ewoldt

Honoree Steven Eng and Lia Chang

 

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