Liz Callaway Joins Other DIVAS in Hudson Stage Company Benefit, 7/14

When someone says “DIVA”, many images come to mind depending on one’s definition of that word. For Olivia Sklar, an Executive Producer at Hudson Stage Company in the heart of Westchester County, the word means “something bigger and more glorious than everyday that can elevate a concert to new heights”. That is exactly what Hudson Stage Company (HSC) is doing with their 9th Benefit of DIVAS 2012. This yearly benefit is produced to raise funds to sustain the professional non-profit organization while giving audiences an evening of pleasure they will not soon forget.

HSC is a professional theater known for presenting original works as well as lesser produced pieces that offer bold and challenging entertainment for their audiences. Started by three friends Denise Bessette, Dan Foster, and Olivia Sklar in the late 90s, the company’s goal was to provide a fresh perspective on the arts that could utilize the amazing professional working talent that had settled with their families in the suburbs outside of Manhattan. Through hard work, dedication, and a pure love of the arts, the company has presented the community with seasons of talent they could usually only get by driving into the city. In doing so they have cultivated an artistic haven where writers can work with a creative team to see their works come to fruition in front of an appreciative audience.

On Saturday, July 14 at 7:00 pm, the company is pleased to present their annual benefit of DIVAS which Sklar describes as a beautiful evening presented on the grounds of a spectacular home each summer where lovers of the arts can come together for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, amazing talent – all while nurturing the ‘baby’ that is Hudson Stage Company - thriving strong in its teen years.

Guests are invited to bring a picnic, blankets and chairs if they would like to do so for the first part of the evening on the grounds of the stunning home in Yorktown Heights, NY. And then at sunset they will step inside a tent where they will be greeted by returning host Jason Graae (actor, singer, Drama Desk Nominee) who will lead the evening of the very well known list of Divas: Liz Callaway (Emmy winner and Tony nominee), LaChanze (Tony winner and star of The Help), Amanda McBroom (Golden Globe winner and writer of "The Rose"), and Faith Prince (Tony-winner and Star of Lifetime TV's Drop Dead Diva).

Immediately following the concert, guests will enjoy coffee and dessert with HSC and ‘Divas’ inside the home designed by Alfredo De Vido. Adds Sklar, “The best is what people think of because of the title of our benefit. I’ve been friends with Liz Callaway for years as she is married to our own Dan Foster. I would actually think of her as a very low key anti-diva with a diva size talent.” Join Hudson Stage Company on the 14th to learn a brand new meaning of the word and to be entertained by some of New York’s finest. Tickets can be purchased online at www.hudsonstage.com for $125 per person and more information can be found by calling 914.271.2811.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to producing the quality shows audiences have come to expect from HSC. The company presents two main stage productions a year as well as four readings of original works. The upcoming season will include Stones in His Pockets, an Irish play about a Hollywood film being shot in an Irish village by Marie Jones in the fall directed by Dan Foster. The spring will include the original play Kunstler by Jeffrey Sweet. A drama based on the career of radical lawyer William Kunstler who famously defended several clients such as the “Chicago Seven” which was part of the Hudson Stage Reading Series this previous season. Broadway actor Jeff McCarthy played the title role in that reading and will return to HSC for this production.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff