TheaterWorksUSA Announced The Creation Of Artistic Ambassadors At Last Night Benefit Gala

Last night, TheaterWorksUSA celebrated 57 years with its benefit at The Current at Chelsea Piers hosted by Broadway's James Snyder. The evening raised critical funds to support TheaterWorksUSA's mission which addresses the disproportionate accessibility of theater for young people by creating exceptional, transformative theatrical experiences for audiences in diverse communities throughout New York City and North America. The sold-out event honored TheaterWorksUSA champions, Marco Masotti and Tracy Stein, Judith C. Prince, and apple seeds.

The audience was treated to performances by Elena Shaddow (The Visit, Bridges Of Madison County, La Cage Aux Folles), Quentin Earl Darrington (Once On This Island, Cats, Ragtime), Kenita Miller (Once On This Island, Xanadu, The Color Purple), Kristy Cates (Wicked, Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Lauren Ashley Zakrin (Great Comet of 1812, Rock of Ages) and Dan DeLuca ("The Wire," Newsies National Tour). The evening's sponsors included Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Platinum Sponsor), The Chanel Family Foundation, Oak Hill Capital Partners, KPS Capital Partners LP, Oak Hill Advisors, and an anonymous donor. The event's co-chairs were Glenn August, Doug Cifu, Ariel Deckelbaum, Stephanie Drescher, and Tyler Wolfram.

The evening also included an announcement of TheaterWorksUSA's newly formed Artistic Ambassadors which includes celebrated artists, many of whom are TWUSA alumni, F. Murray Abraham, Lynn Ahrens, Jelani Alladin, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Laura Benanti, Nell Benjamin, Beowulf Boritt, Deborah Brevoort, Andréa Burns, Danny Burstein, Kathleen Chalfant, Kirsten Childs, Chuck Cooper, Jeff Croiter, Stephen Flaherty, Peter Flynn, Bobby Lopez, Rebecca Luker, Larry O'Keefe, Brad Oscar, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Diego Prieto, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephen Schwartz, Elena Shaddow, Kate Wetherhead and Jerry Zaks. This committee will help guide TheaterWorksUSA into the future as they continue to be the widest-reaching not-for-profit provider of family theater in the country.

"We are proud to have such an illustrious group of artists representing our organization, and grateful for their belief in the value of quality, professional theater for young and family audiences." TheaterWorksUSA, Artistic Director, Barbara Pasternack

"TheaterWorksUSA was my first job when I came to NY after college seeking a career in musical theatre. As musical director and accompanist, I was able to earn a decent salary, begin to make professional contacts, and start to gain experience." - Stephen Schwartz

"The work I created at TheaterWorksUSA cannot be underestimated in terms of its scope and cultural importance." - Chuck Cooper

"TheaterWorksUSA is an organization that gives kids from all economic backgrounds a chance to develop a lifelong love of theater. The work I created at TheaterWorksUSA was the foundation on which I built the rest of my career and helped me believe I could actually have a career as a songwriter." - Kristen Anderson-Lopez

Next up for TheaterWorksUSA is its annual Family Summer Theater presentation at the Lortel Theatre with the World Premiere of the much-anticipated Dog Man: The Musical based on the series by Dav Pilkey. The show begins performances on June 28, 2019, and is presented in association with The Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation. Tickets are currently available for TWUSA Members, whose generosity help underwrite more than 7,000 free tickets for young people throughout NYC to see live theater, many for the first time, through this program.

TheaterWorksUSA (Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director; Michael Harrington, Managing Director) has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. Since 1962, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 130 original plays and musicals. To learn more, visit www.TWUSA.org

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