Photos: Rachel Dratch, Lilli Cooper, LaChanze, and More at New 42's Annual Gala

Last night, New 42 - recipient of a 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre - hosted their annual gala at the Plaza Hotel, titled “A Celebration of Joy & Wonder.” See photos here!

The Gala honored outgoing Board Chairman of New 42 and co-founder of P3 Productions, Fiona Howe Rudin, as well as director, designer, librettist, illustrator, and musician Julian Crouch. Rudin will be succeeded as Board Chairman by Tony Award-winning producer and co-founder of Key to the City Productions, Henry Tisch, effective July 1, 2025. The event raised nearly $2.5 million to support New 42’s artistic, arts education and community engagement programming.
 
The evening was hosted by Tony Award nominees Rachel Dratch and Lilli Cooper and included special performances from Tony Award-winner LaChanze, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (Dianne Burkun Menaker, Founder & Artistic Director), acclaimed tap dance artist Michelle Dorrance, Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes with Claudia Zanes and Tyree Austin, and Broadway’s Sean Bell, Ron Bohmer, Liisi LaFontaine, and Solea Pfeiffer.
 
New 42 President & CEO Russell Granet, alongside P3 Productions co-founders Sammy Lopez and Ben Hotzman, as well as Fiona’s husband Eric Rudin and sons Sam and Nick Rudin, presented the Marian Heiskell Award to Fiona Howe Rudin for her incredible tenure serving as New 42’s Board Chairman. Since joining the Board of Directors at New 42 in 2004, Rudin has been invaluable in advancing New 42’s mission to ensure access to quality performing arts for everyone from the earliest years onward.  
 
New 42 Artistic Director Mary Rose Lloyd presented the New Victory Arts Award to Julian Crouch for his meaningful contributions as a director, scenic designer, librettist, illustrator and musician. In addition to Crouch’s varied work in operas, on Broadway and around the world, his imaginative work has been presented at the New Victory Theater five times. 
 
New 42 Board Member and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi hosted the Paddle Raise fundraising portion of the evening which supports New 42 and New Victory's programs that expand access to the arts for kids, families and classrooms across New York City.
 
In addition to receiving a 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, New 42 also celebrates the organization’s 35th anniversary in the 2025-26 season. The upcoming season also marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the New Victory Theater and the 25th anniversary of New 42 Studios. The New Victory Theater’s 2025-26 anniversary season, announced earlier this spring, is now on sale at www.newvictory.org. 
 
Proceeds from “A Celebration of Joy & Wonder” will support the innovative artistic, arts education, and engagement programs of New 42 and the New Victory. Since 1995, New Victory Theater has welcomed generations of families to experience the magic of theater together: the New 42 family includes 150 partner schools and 40,000 NYC school kids, whose education is enriched each year by the New Victory’s performances and resources as well as the New 42 Youth Corps employment program.
 
“A Celebration of Joy & Wonder” leadership included Jody and John Arnhold, Emily and Len Blavatnik, Fiona and Eric Rudin, Ophelia and Bill Rudin, Diane and Marc Spilker, and Henry Tisch and Sean Walsh. Give Lively Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Tiffany & Co. were lead sponsors of the Gala.
 

Photo credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for New 42