By Black Theatre United
Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Black Theatre United
(New York, NY) – Black Theatre United (BTU) is thrilled to announce a star-studded lineup of Honorary Co-Chairs for its second annual Gala on Monday, September 30, 2024 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, which includes Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award winner Whoopi Goldberg; Oscar winner Ariana Debose; Tony, Emmy & Grammy Award nominee Josh Groban; Tony & Grammy Award winner Marc Shaiman; Tony & Grammy Award winner Patti LuPone; Richard Jay-Alexander; Oscar winner Spike Lee and Oscar & Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Stephen Schwartz. This year’s Gala, titled “Generations of Excellence,” will be an unforgettable evening where BTU will come together with friends and allies to honor the indelible mark that Black culture has had on Broadway and across multiple industries.
The Gala will honor renowned conductor, composer, and music director Linda Twine with the 2024 Accountability Award; Chief Diversity Officer of Meta, Maxine Williams will receive the 2024 Advocacy Award; and 16-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Alicia Keys will be honored with the 2024 Aspire Award.
Single tickets are now available and begin at $1,000. Tables begin at $10,000.
Tickets and tables are available now at www.BlackTheatreUnited.com/Gala.
Directed by Jerry Dixon with music direction by Joseph Joubert, the evening will feature performances by Broadway legends André de Shields, Leslie Uggams, and Stephanie Mills with Ephraim Sykes, Nichelle Lewis, Audra McDonald, and newcomers Sydney Terry, Gabrielle Rice, Darrin Scott, Savannah Lee Henry and Caleb Mayers, as well as a featured performance by Matthew Whitaker and the next generation of musical theatre performers from the Class of 2024: Owen Scales, Aidan Jones, Kianna Kelly Futch, Logan Durrah Broadnax, Jalen Bunch, Aria Evans, Ahmeer Bethea, Harry Cornelio, Kal Rutledge, Jenna Rose Young, Talib Thompson, Joshua Lewis, Kennedy Jackson, and Amirah Joy Lomax.
The Gala will feature special presentations by Shoshana Bean, Telly Leung, Kristin Chenoweth, Danny Burstein, Mia Neal, Peggy Eisenhauer, Juliana Canfield, Raúl Esparza, Jeanine Tesori, Kara Young, Mario Cantone and more, as well as BTU Founders Norm Lewis, Vanessa Williams, LaChanze, Michael McElroy, Tamara Tunie, Allyson Tucker Mitchell, Darius de Haas, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Schele Williams, Capathia Jenkins, Natasha Yvette Williams, Wendell Pierce and Lillias White.
Gala Co-Chairs include Dr. Indira Etawroo (Harlem Stage), Kevin Brown (Ernst & Young) and Jana Fleischman (Roc Nation).
Proceeds from the Gala will play a vital role in supporting Black Theatre United’s empowering programs, including The BTU Rise Marketing Internship, The New Deal for Broadway, Business of Show discussion series, Community Town Hall events, an upcoming educational program and Design Initiative launching this fall. Returning for the second year alongside fellow BTU Founder Norm Lewis, Gala Co-Chair Vanessa Williams said, “It’s a thrill to present our second BTU Gala to the theatre community and show all the progress, inclusion and education that has been accomplished within a year. Plus it’s always the best party in town!”
You can also be a part of the call to action to inspire the next generation of Black theatre professionals in all communities across the country by becoming a sponsor.
BTU, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was founded to build pathways of access and opportunities for Black and other students and industry professionals who have been historically marginalized in the theatre community. Proceeds from the gala will support BTU’s empowering programs in Mentorships, Student Internships, BTU’s Annual Advocacy Summit, and BTU’s Education program.
For more information, please email [email protected] or visit www.BlackTheatreUnited.com.
WE ARE BLACK THEATRE UNITED
On the heels of a watershed moment in American society, Black Theatre United was formed in 2020 by a passionate group of theater professionals committed to ensuring advances in their beloved theater community. BTU’s mission is to provide access for up-and-coming Black artists, pathways for art makers, and opportunities for industry professionals historically marginalized within the theater world and beyond.
As members of the Black theatre community, we stand together to help protect Black people, Black theatre, and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in communities across the country. Our voices are united to educate, empower, and inspire through excellence and activism in the pursuit of justice and equality. We will tell our stories, preserve our history, and ensure the legacy of Black theatre as American culture.
Passionate and committed, BTU’s founding group of actors, directors, musicians, writers, technicians, producers and stage management includes: Lisa Dawn Cave, Darius de Haas, Carin Ford, Capathia Jenkins, LaChanze, Kenny Leon, Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wendell Pierce, Billy Porter, Anna Deavere Smith, Allyson Tucker, Tamara Tunie, Lillias White, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Schele Williams, and Vanessa Williams.
