Rosie's Theater Kids to Honor Desmond Child at Annual Gala

Rosie's Theater Kids will celebrate their 18th anniversary by honoring Grammy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated songwriter-producer Desmond Child at its annual gala presented both virtually and in-person on Monday, November 15 in New York City at The Whitby Hotel Theater (18 West 56 Street). The live event will be hosted by BD Wong with a virtual appearance by Rosie O'Donnell and performances by Rosie's Theater Kids.

Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated songwriter-producer Desmond Child is one of music's most prolific and accomplished hitmakers. He's a film, television, theater and music producer, recording artist, performer, and author. His credits appear on more than eighty Billboard Top 40 singles spanning six decades, including "Livin' On A Prayer," "You Give Love A Bad Name," "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Dude Looks Like A Lady," "How Can We Be Lovers If We Can't Be Friends," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," "Livin' La Vida Loca," "The Cup Of Life," "Waking Up In Vegas" and many more.

From Aerosmith to Zedd, his genre-defying collaborations also include KISS, Bon Jovi, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Meat Loaf, Cyndi Lauper, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Ava Max, Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog, selling over 500 million records worldwide with downloads, YouTube views and streaming plays in the billions.

Desmond wrote the words and music to "Lady Liberty" for Barbra Streisand, which they co-produced together on her latest album, WALLS. He also released Desmond Child LIVE as well as co-wrote the #1 European Airplay single "Kings & Queens" with Ava Max. His pop band Desmond Child & Rouge recently released their two re-mastered albums, Desmond Child & ROUGE and RUNNERS IN THE NIGHT, including a dance remake of their Billboard Top-40 hit single "OUR LOVE IS INSANE XX." Child also released "VIVA LA DIVA" featuring Countess Luann from Bravo's "The Real Housewives Of New York City;" the song was featured in the season finale. On the slate for 2022 is the release of his autobiography Desmond Child / LIVIN' ON A PRAYER: BIG SONGS BIG LIFE With David Ritz.

Desmond Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008 and serves on its Board of Directors as well as the Board of ASCAP. In 2018 he received ASCAP's prestigious Founders Award celebrating 40 years as a proud member of ASCAP. He also co-founded the Latin Songwriters Hall Of Fame where he serves as Chairman Emeritus.

A reception and viewing party will begin at 6:30pm at The Whitby Hotel Theater (18 West 56 Street) with the livestream event beginning at 7:30pm.

For information about purchasing gala tickets for either the livestream or in-person event on November 15, please call Buckley Hall Events at 914-579-1000, email RTKids@buckleyhallevents.com, or visit https://rosiestheaterkids.org/2021gala/.

Founded in 2003 by Rosie O'Donnell and Lori Klinger, Rosie's Theater Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of students from historically underrepresented and low-income communities through the arts with both in-school and after-school programming. Its scholarship program, ACTE II (A Commitment to Excellence), serves students from Title I NYC public schools with free, conservatory-style training in musical theater from 6th through 12th grade after school at Maravel Arts Center, RTKids' headquarters at 445 West 45th Street. The school's motto - "We're rehearsing for life" - is evident in its ACTE II offerings from performing arts instruction, to life skills development, academic tutoring, college and financial aid guidance, and a home-away-from-home environment.

To date, Rosie's Theater Kids programs have directly impacted 25,000 NYC school students, many of whom have never had the opportunity to see a Broadway show or experience the thrill of live art performances. In 2015, Rosie's Theater Kids won the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award at The White House, making them one of the top creative youth development programs in the country.

For more information about Rosie's Theater Kids please visit:
https://rosiestheaterkids.org

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