Abingdon Theatre Company Celebrates 34 Years of Opening Doors
At its Edison Ballroom anniversary gala, Sandy Duncan, Michael Urie and John Gasdaska were honored as the company looked toward a new season of American theater. [more]
Galas & Events
Galas, benefits, award nights and special events covered by TheaterScene.net.
Trending in this section
- The New York Pops 43rd Birthday Gala
- Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from Stage & Screen
- Cool! The 60th Anniversary and Reunion Event: West Side Story
- Ariel Rivka Dance: 10th Anniversary Season
- The New York Virtuoso Singers
- Twyla Tharp 50th Anniversary Tour
- The Victory Dance Project
- The 30th Annual Bistro Awards
The New York Pops 43rd Birthday Gala: “Changed for Good: A Celebration of Stephen Schwartz”
The New York Pops’ 43rd Birthday Gala honoring Stephen Schwartz did not present itself as a ceremonial evening. It moved with purpose, cleanly built, with no drag between numbers and no need to overstate its significance. Under music director Steven Reineke, the orchestra kept a steady line—bright brass, controlled strings, and arrangements that stayed responsive to the singers rather than imposing weight on them. The result was a program that trusted the material and let the performers meet it directly. What distinguishes this gala is not only the caliber of performance but the structure surrounding it. This is the Pops’ largest fundraiser of the year, and the proceeds are not abstract. They feed directly into PopsEd, the orchestra’s long-running music education arm, which provides in-school instruction, performance opportunities, and access across New York City. That mission was not explained from the stage. It was visible in the room. [more]
Gingold Theatrical Group’s 20th Anniversary Gala at The Players
The occasion was the 20th Anniversary Gala of Gingold Theatrical Group, the company that celebrates and revitalizes the work of George Bernard Shaw [more]
Episcopal Actors’ Guild’s 2025 Annual Memorial Evensong Service
This year’s service, held Sunday, November 9, 2025, was led by Father John David van Dooren, Rector of the Little Church and Warden of the Guild. His opening words recalled the centuries-old connection between art and faith: “Our work as performers is to make the invisible visible—to show that light, even when flickering, is never lost.” Then came the reading of names: a litany of the departed, some famous, some known only to the theater community, all united by their devotion to the performing arts. [more]
Theatre Now’s Astonishing! Gala 2025
Honoring three women reshaping the American musical: Mindi Dickstein, Lisa Lambert and Anna K. Jacobs.Hosted with radiant humor by Taylor Iman Jones, the evening celebrated women and nonbinary musical-theatre writers, with performances by Isabelle McCalla, Kyra Kennedy, Claire Kwon, Afra Sophia Tully, and Jones herself. Songs rose through the oak-paneled hall like light through stained glass. [more]
ON THE TOWN WITH CHIP DEFFAA … AT THE IRISH REP’S TOWN HALL GALA
They’ve created a theater that actors love to work in. And that was reflected by the terrific array of actors (including assorted Tony and Drama Desk Award winners and nominees), who gathered at Town Hall to reprise numbers they’d performed at the Irish Rep over the past 35 years.
[more]
2023 Fini Dance Festival and Italian International Dance Awards
Antonio Fini in Ted Shawn’s “The Cosmic Dance of Siva,” performed as part of 2023 Fini Dance [more]
Eighteen-Year-Old Actor with Autism Honored by Only Make Believe Charity
Collet Reyes has been a part of the Only Make Believe charity since he was eight years old. Living with a developmental disability and being diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, Reyes has worked through these challenges to pursue his dream of becoming a professional actor. For the last ten years, Reyes was able to write, perform and learn all aspects of the theatre industry. He continues today by working with Only Make Believe actors to attend monologue workshops wherein he developed a monologue of his own to use at future auditions. He has taken professional headshots and continues to volunteer in his current role as both stage manager and mentor to children at The Rebecca School. [more]
SHOWSTOPPERS! SPECTACULAR COSTUMES FROM STAGE & SCREEN
Showstoppers! spotlights the incredible and oftentimes under-recognized costume contributions to the entertainment industry, and pulls back the curtain on the hundreds of costuming experts who create, supply and care for them, and infuse much-needed vitality back into the Theatre
District. As guests make their way through the exhibit, they will get to see up close the detail and craftsmanship typically only seen far away on stage or screen. Costume makers and experts will be on-site demonstrating their techniques and skills and interacting with guests, and
multimedia elements will provide a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process. [more]
When Broadway Shows Will Be Opening (or Re-Opening)
More than 30 Broadway productions are expected to open or re-open before year's end. Producers are gambling that by the fall, audiences will be ready to return. I'll list below the shows and projected opening dates, as it stands now. (And this is still in flux. Info changes almost every day.) Fingers crossed! Lights should be returning to Broadway this fall... There are still a lot of unknowns, of course. No one knows, for example, what the tourist situation will be, come fall. And tourists traditionally buy a lot of theater tix. And no one knows if the pandemic will be fading out in the fall or--due to emerging variants--be resurgent. [more]
Fifth Annual Broadway Run Raises Record-Breaking $104,239 for Broadway Cares
Theater enthusiasts, Broadway stars, industry insiders and passionate supporters ran (or walked) the streets of New York City in this year’s Broadway Run, raising a record-breaking $104,239 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. [more]
The New York Pops 36th Birthday Gala: “Hat Full Of Stars: The Songs of Cyndi Lauper”
"Kinky Boots" ’ uplifting finale "Raise You Up/Just Be" was a euphoric highlight of The New York Pops’ marvelous tribute concert "Hat Full Of Stars: The Songs Of Cyndi Lauper. " The 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Score and Best Musical’s original cast member Stark Sands was joined by Lena Hall, Alex Newell, the Camp Broadway Kids ensemble and the renowned 78-piece orchestra. Earlier, that long-running Broadway show was represented by the limber and magnetic Mr. Sands’ dazzling "The Soul of a Man" and the "Glee" star Mr. Newell’s soulful "Hold Me in Your Heart." [more]
The New York Pops’ 35th Birthday Gala, “Part of His World: The Songs of Alan Menken”
Angela Lansbury’s electrifying surprise appearance was the grandest of the many highlights of the New York Pops’ sensational 35th Birthday Gala, "Part of His World: The Songs of Alan Menken." The 92-year-old Ms. Lansbury performed a ravishing rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” in all its tender glory. [more]
Cool! The 60th Anniversary and Reunion Event: West Side Story
Each was asked about their first audition. Marilyn D’Honau couldn’t remember, although she clearly made an impression on Robbins who subsequently used her in "Gypsy." Tony Mordente, just an acting hopeful, was working in a Times Square Howard Johnson’s when he heard that WSS was being assembled and he showed up with no professional experience and managed to impress the powers-that-be. Some flew in from the Coast or Las Vegas or were known by Robbins before hand, like Ronnie Lee who was in "Peter Pan." All were reminded by Robbins before the opening night that they were “handpicked.” [more]
A.R. Gurney’s Memorial at The Music Box
Sigourney Weaver, who acted in Gurney’s plays Mrs. Farnsworth and Crazy Mary, periodically appeared onstage with her husband Jim Simpson. Mr. Simpson was the former Artistic Director of The Flea Theater which presented 15 of Gurney’s works. Throughout the celebration the couple reminisced about the writer and recited biographical details about him, while illustrative slides depicting his life were projected. At the conclusion of this portion, in white lettering on a black background, were projected the titles of Gurney’s 48 plays. It was a stark testament to his achievements. [more]
Ariel Rivka Dance: 10th Anniversary Season
Ms. Grossman tended toward overuse repetition of movements and arm gestures. Emotional states were supported by little else than the titles and her husband’s gemlike scores. “No Words,” to a score composed and played by Mr. Homan, opened the program. His music sounded like an anguished string quartet to which she made an honest stab at using gesture and arrangement of the eight dancers to express the anger and loss in a poem, “Fury: In Praise of Stone,” by Janet R. Kirchheimer and Jaclyn Piudik, which was printed in the program. [more]
The New York Virtuoso Singers: Morton Gould/ASCAP Young Composer Award Recipients
From the beginning, one core component of Rosenbaum’s mission has been the cultivation of a contemporary American repertoire and the regular commission of new works. Rosenbaum is, in fact, an enthusiastic champion of young composers. This May concert, consisting of ten new works, reflected this focus … and was a wonderful celebration of young talent and achievement. [more]
The New York Pops 34th Birthday Gala: “Something Wonderful”
The sensational highlight of the concert was a medley from "South Pacific." “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right out of My Hair” had the luminous Ashley Park euphorically performing that showstopper. Ms. Park was filling in for the previously announced and indisposed Laura Osnes. Female members of The Camp Broadway Kids Ensemble, who were dressed in colorful outfits and sailor caps, wonderfully joined Park. This thrilling production number was representative of Cynthia Thole’s vigorous direction and choreography. [more]
2016 Tony Awards Bestow Much Love on “Hamilton”
Although "Hamilton" had been nominated for 16 awards in 13 categories, it failed to break the record of Mel Brooks’ "The Producers" which remains the all-time winner with a total of 12. Hamilton took all of the top musical awards including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical (Thomas Kail, previously nominated for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights) except for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical which went to British actress Cynthia Erivo. (Making her Broadway debut, Erivo was reprising her role as Celie Harris in "The Color Purple" from the 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production re-envisioned by John Doyle.) Star Miranda won his second and third Tonys with his awards for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater and Best Book of a Musical. He previously won for Best Score with his 2008 Broadway musical, In the Heights. [more]
Winners Announced For The 61st Annual OBIE AWARDS®
New York, NY (May 23, 2016) – The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President) and The [more]
Self-titled debut album from Hamilton’s Grammy award-winning & Tony-nominated performer/vocalist Leslie Odom Jr. To be released June 10 on S-Curve records
“Leslie has approached the songs on his debut album in a thoughtful and truly inspired fashion, creating something quite beautiful,” said Steve Greenberg, Founder and President of S-Curve Records. “We all know what a charismatic performer he is; the world is about to find out what a uniquely gifted vocalist he is. He’s made a great album and this is really just the beginning.” [more]
Broadway Stars Joined Forces To Help Raise $200,000 For Creative Alternatives Of New York (CANY) At The 2016 Annual “Theater & Therapy” Gala
Guests were also treated to surprise live performances at the event. Ann Hampton Callaway opened the night’s festivities with a mash up of the songs “People” and “Being Alive” to rousing applause. After Kelli O’ Hara accepted her award she sang “Make Someone Happy” and Cady Huffman and Ann Hampton Callaway performed the duet, “Sunny Side of the Street” to close the event. [more]
Second Annual Broadway Bets Eclipses Inaugural Total, Raises $247,800 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Theatre fans and Broadway’s biggest behind-the-scenes players went “all in” on Monday, May 16, 2016, at the second annual edition of Broadway Bets, Broadway’s official poker tournament, raising a spectacular $247,800 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. [more]
C4: The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective: Vocal – C4 honors its foundations: music for voices alone
Calling their 2015-2016 season “Cornerstones,” C4 is exploring musical and artistic themes that have established the group's identity and excellence during its first decade. Their November program, "Vocal," included works by C4 composers, as well as others, familiar favorites and two premieres; the eleven works performed were conducted by seven C4 members. [more]
Twyla Tharp 50th Anniversary Tour
Twyla Tharp is a choreographer who can infuriate and charm audiences in equal measure. (Paul Taylor also comes to mind.) Her choreography is clearly the result of an intensely fertile mind, but her very personal, quirky movement style often seems arbitrary and unmusical. Her program at the David H. Koch Theater, marking the end of her 50th Anniversary Tour, was filled with her quirky idiosyncratic, non-stop movements, beautifully danced, but finally becoming an onslaught of just too many ideas—some corny, some brilliant—flung at the music and the audience. [more]
Career Transition for Dancers: 30th Anniversary Pearl Jubilee
Ann Marie DeAngelo, the longtime producer and director of the Career Transition for Dancers: 30th Anniversary Pearl Jubilee, has outdone herself this year with a smooth and satisfying program, balancing entertaining dance numbers with just the right amount of speechifying. Adding appearances by Broadway and TV star Bebe Neuwirth, prima ballerina Cynthia Gregory and Hollywood royalty, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas and (Rolex honoree) Shirley MacLaine to the mix, resulted in a gala that out-gala-ed the previous ones. [more]
On The Town … With Chip Deffaa REFLECTIONS ON THE 2015 TONY AWARDS….
Tommy Tune, just walking down the aisle to his seat in the orchestra, had more style and grace and class than much of the broadcast. I couldn't help wondering how much more "Broadway" the night would have felt if Tommy Tune had been put in charge of the whole event. [more]
The Victory Dance Project: First Anniversary Celebration
To celebrate The Victory Dance Project’s first anniversary, an inspiring and spirited program was presented at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. There was a selection of the company’s dazzling dances and their First Annual Artist for Peace award was presented to Renee Robinson. The personable and entertaining comedian Grant Cooper hosted the event. Mr. Cooper did a funny routine about an imaginary audition for The Alvin Ailey Company with clunky movements. Though humorous, as befitting the occasion he was often serious. [more]
The New York Pops 32nd Birthday Gala: “The New Golden Age”
Maestro Steven Reineke, backed up by the largest pops orchestra in the United States, took us on an astonishing musical journey. The song selections made the perfectly-paced concert one of the most memorable nights of music in the past decade. [more]
The 30th Annual Bistro Awards
Beaming Broadway musical comedy veteran, Lee Roy Reams presented the final honor, the ASCAP Major Engagement Award to Lillias White. “My grandmother’s table was my cabaret,” she recalled about the beginning of her long and successful career. In a full-out performance, she then recreated her Tony Award-winning role as an aging prostitute, from the 1997 Broadway musical The Life, with her signature song, “The Oldest Profession.” It was a commanding and fitting finale to this exuberant event. [more]
TheaterScene.net Cabaret Honors: A First Annual List
The eclectic world of cabaret is unique in the entertainment industry. It allows artists' to connect with an audience in an intimate setting. Today, the clubs are ripe with new, rising and mature talents and the beginners who want to make it. But, who are today's torchbearers? Who will make their mark? And, who will take cabaret into its next phase? Time will tell. [more]
“THE GEORGE M. COHAN AWARD” PRESENTED TO RAYNA HIRT, MICHAEL CZYZ
Both Czyz and Hirt have won the respect and admiration of their co-stars. Joseph Spitale, who played opposite Czyz in “Theater Boys,” commented: “Michael is so alive and present when he's on stage. He has this ability to connect in a very real way. Every performance with Michael feels fresh and new, which really keeps me invested as a scene partner. And I have a lot of respect for how grounded he is in scenes where he's so exposed.” [more]
“THE BETTY BUCKLEY AWARD” PRESENTED TO EMILY BORDONARO
Bordonaro, who is currently appearing in Deffaa’s “Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue” at the 13th Street Rep (50 W. 13th Street, NYC), expressed deep gratitude at being chosen as the first recipient of the annual Betty Buckley Award. [more]
The 28th Annual MAC Awards
All Photos by Stephen Sorokoff “Was I supposed to campaign?” Joked [more]
The Drama League’s 25th annual all-star gala, “A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF BROADWAY”
Originally published on Theaterscene.net Jan 21, 2009. Original link: [more]