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| Amas Musical Theatre To Celebrate 50th Anniversary at Benefit Gala Concert on April 1 - Harry Belafonte, Shelly Berger Among Honorees | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 06:26 pm EST 02/14/19 | |
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| AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE TO CELEBRATE 50th ANNIVERSARY AT GALA BENEFIT CONCERT HARRY BELAFONTE, SHELLY BERGER, SHARLEEN COOPER COHEN, DONNA TRINKOFF TO BE HONORED WITH THE 2019 ROSIE AWARD “AMAS @50” DIRECTED BY JONATHAN CERULLO MUSICAL DIRECTOR HENRY ARONSON SPECIAL MATERIAL WRITTEN BY STUART ROSS A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY “THE ACADEMY TEENS” ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER WHOOPI GOLDBERG IS HONORARY CHAIR TONY AWARD-WINNER LILLIAS WHITE IS MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES THE ANGEL ORENSANTZ FOUNDATION (172 NORFOLK STREET, NYC) MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019 Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), New York City’s award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968 and will celebrate its 50th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit Concert on Monday, April 1, 2019 at the The Angel Orensanz Foundation (172 Norfolk Street). Honorary Chair for the event is Academy Award-Winning actress and activist Whoopi Goldberg. Tony Award-winner Lillias White will be Mistress of Ceremonies evening. Since 1968, Amas has been a force in New York City, developing and producing new American musicals, a pioneer in non-traditional casting and multiculturalism, and a forerunner of theatre arts education for underserved young people. Amas Musical Theatre was the inspiration of a pioneering figure in the American theatre, Rosetta LeNoire (1911-2002), an African-American actress who began her career as a child performer “planted” in audiences by her godfather, the legendary Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Rosetta founded Amas (Latin for “you love”), a non-profit performing arts organization, to combat racism, proclaiming “We are all flowers in God’s glorious bouquet, every one of us, every color!” From the beginning, Amas has sought to bring together people of all backgrounds, colors, and ethnic origin through musical theatre, and education programs have always been integral to the mission. Amas became the first voice of multiculturalism in theatre, and America’s founding exponent of diversity, long before the term became a corporate mantra. Rosetta insisted on multi-ethnic casting in every show she produced and, in a few seasons, Amas emerged as an influential new force in the theatre, especially after she conceived the groundbreaking Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1973, which became a Broadway and touring sensation. In 1999, President Clinton awarded the National Medal of Arts to Rosetta as “an individual deserving of special recognition by reason of her outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States." Actors’ Equity Association acknowledges Rosetta and Amas’ contribution to the American theatre by annually bestowing the Rosetta LeNoire Award (“The Rosie Award”) on producers and theatre companies who exemplify her commitment to multicultural production and casting. Following in Rosie’s footsteps, for the past 25 years, artistic producer Donna Trinkoff has continued to engrave the unique Amas trademark with musical theatre works that embrace different cultural perspectives while reaching out to underserved audiences. Countless dramatists, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and actors have graced Amas stages over the past 50 years, including Maya Angelou, Micki Grant, Galt McDermott, Sheldon Epps, John Rando, Tom O’Horgan, Ossie Davis, Billie Allen, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Andre deShields, Leslie Uggams, Phylicia Rashad, Brad Oscar and Christopher Jackson. The contributions of these alumni, as well as the dedication of the talented roster of early career artists, speaks to the unique and important work of Amas – a laboratory for artists who share its vision of cultural equity and tell timeless stories that resonate deeply. “We are enormously proud of our rich legacy” says Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer. “For a non-profit company in New York City to continue its mission for 50 years is a miracle in itself. We will continue to honor Rosie’s vision and look to the next 50 years.” The gala evening will begin at 6:00pm with a champagne reception and silent auction. At 7:00pm there is a sit down dinner and at 8:00pm the show begins when the students of the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Amas’ flagship education program, will present a sneak peek of their upcoming spring production of Pippin, followed by a musical tribute to Rosie Award Honorees - legendary actor/singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, Shelly Berger, pioneering music manager, including 42 years guiding The Temptations; Sharleen Cooper Cohen, author, playwright and longtime Amas Board Member, and Donna Trinkoff, Amas’ Artistic Producer in recognition of her 25 years at the helm of the organization. The show, Amas @50, will be directed by Jonathan Cerullo, with music direction by Henry Aronson, and special material written by Stuart Ross, featuring award-winning performances by Len Cariou, Christopher Jackson, N’Kenge, Vivian Reed, Leslie Uggams, among other Broadway talent. A scholarship in the name of Amas founder Rosetta LeNoire will also be given to a college-bound student attending the Amas Teen Academy. “The Rosie Award is given every year to outstanding individuals who are leaders in their fields. Our Honorees exemplify the spirit of Rosetta LeNoire, not only because of their extraordinary accomplishments and dedication in bringing our world more closely together, but because they help show the way to others who would follow. We are very proud to be honoring Harry Belafonte, Shelly Berger, and Sharleen Cooper Cohen”, says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Artistic Producer. Tickets are $700 and $450 plus a limited number of show-only $175 seats are available and can be purchased online at www.amasmusical.org, or by calling (212) 563-2565. More information at www.amasmusical.org. Bios Harry Belafonte is an American singer, songwriter, activist and actor. One of the most successful Jamaican-American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style (originating inTrinidad & Tobago) with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) is the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing "The Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". He has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He has also starred in several films, most notably in Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). Belafonte was an early supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s confidants. Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. Since 1987, he has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In recent years, he has been a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush presidential administrations. Harry Belafonte now acts as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. Belafonte has won three Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, anEmmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honor. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards. In March 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He can be seen in the 2019 Academy Award “Best Picture” nominated film Black(k)klansman, directed by Spike Lee. Shelly Berger is a 55-year veteran of the entertainment industry who has enjoyed a varied career in talent management, production, and music. For the last 26 years he has been at the helm of Star Direction, an entertainment firm through which he guides artists and manages projects for such prominent figures as Otis Williams, Berry Gordy and Suzanne de Passe. Mr. Berger, in the course of a long and colorful career, served as personal manager to Williams and the Temptations for 42 years and has contributed heavily to a book about the group. Mr. Berger joined Motown Records in 1966 and went on to manage the careers of heavyweights like the Supremes, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops and the Jackson 5. He left the legendary label in the early 1980s to found his own talent management firm. Adapting the Temptations biography that he wrote with Otis Williams, Mr. Berger tried his hand at production through a four-hour television miniseries on NBC that delved into the history of one of Motown's most enduring acts. It won for its director Allan Arkush the 1998 Emmy for outstanding direction of a miniseries or movie. Mr. Berger is extremely proud to have been an exceptional influence behind the camera and attributes his longevity to striving to be an honorable human being every day of his life. A scholar of Boston University, Mr. Berger completed training in theater arts. Initially set on a career as an actor, he graduated from the High School of Performing Arts. When he is not working, he volunteers with local community organizations and offers consulting services pro bono. Sharleen Cooper Cohen’s first career was as a highly successful interior designer. Her work appeared in House Beautiful, Architectural Digest and the Los Angeles Times Home Magazine. After losing her first husband, she turned to writing to process her grief. Seven published novels later; The Day After Tomorrow, Regina’s Song, The Ladies of Beverly Hills, Marital Affairs, Love Sex and Money, Lives of Value and Innocent Gestures, over two million copies are in print in the U.S., Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, China and The United Kingdom. Three were optioned for film and television. Her earliest theatre project, Sheba, Sharleen wrote and co-produced (book and lyrics) with music by Gary William Friedman, Off Broadway in partnership with the Jewish Repertory Theatre. It was one of the JRT’s most successful productions and garnered an excellent New York Times review. The SHEBA CD was released in January 2000 by Original Cast Records. In 2003, Sheba was updated: songs added, the score re-orchestrated, to make it a Pop Rock Gospel Musical. Presented in Los Angeles in 2004 as a community outreach project, it brought together the African-American and Jewish communities in an entertainment experience and enjoyed the support of L.A.’s religious leaders. Sheba was awarded Honorable mention in the Stage Play Script Category of the 2004 Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Her second original musical, Stormy Weather: The Story of Lena Horne, was awarded Honorable Mention in the Stage Play Script Category of the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. The world premiere of Stormy Weather: Imagining Lena Horne, starring Leslie Uggams, presented in February – March 2007 at The Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia and broke all box office records. In January 2009, The Pasadena Playhouse presented the West Coast premiere of Stormy Weather starring Leslie Uggams. It played until March 8 by popular demand and broke all box office records. Sharleen served as producer on Broadway’s Indecent (Tony nomination), An American in Paris (Tony nomination), The Velocity of Autumn and Street Corner Symphony. In London’s West End, she produced Jerry Herman’s The Best of Times at the Vaudeville Theatre. Other co-producing and associate producing credits include: Bingo, Duets and Cookin’ at the Cookery. Projects in development include: Blackout (lyrics by Cooper Cohen, and music by award-winning composer Debra Barsha of Radiant Baby), Who Killed Marilyn? (a play in one act), Paying Natasha, an original screenplay and Pop Nation. She is co-creator/producer of HIT CITY, a TV song writing competition show. Cooper Cohen serves on the board of Amas Musical Theatre, Living Heritage Foundation, and is Vice President of The American Friends of FAI, The Nation Trust of Italy (FAI). The musical, An Officer and a Gentleman, was originally conceived by Sharleen and she has been Co-Writer of An Officer and a Gentleman with Douglas Day-Stewart since 2002. An Officer and a Gentleman thrilled audiences on tour of 21 cities in the UK, produced by Jamie Wilson Productions UK, beginning at the prestigious regional theatre in Leicester UK, THE CURVE, co-written and produced by Sharleen Cooper Cohen. It is currently being licensed by the U.S, and Europe. Donna Trinkoff is currently the artistic producer of Amas Musical Theatre, a non-profit performing arts organization in New York City devoted the creation, development and production of new musicals and to the training and encouragement of inner-city young people. Since 1994, Donna has produced the original musicals Broadway and the Bard, starring Len Cariou, Red Eye of Love, The Other Josh Cohen, Triassic Parq!, Wanda’s World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, Magpie, Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story, Zanna, Don’t!, Latin Heart, From My Hometown, Langston Hughes’ Little Ham, 4 Guys Named José, Rollin’ on the T.O.B.A., among others, and she has presented over 90 original musicals in the Amas Musical Theatre Lab. As Starry Night Productions, Donna presented the Off-Broadway premiere of SILENCE! The Musical (Christopher Gattelli, Hunter Bell, Jon & Al Kaplan), the unauthorized parody of the iconic film “The Silence of the Lambs” to critical acclaim, sold-out houses and a two-year run. SILENCE! won the Off Broadway Alliance Award and the Obie Award for Best Musical and was named as one of the 'Top 10 Plays of the Year' by TIME Magazine. The original cast album has been released on Sh-K-Boom Records. Donna was an associate artistic director at the Cabaret and Performance Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Center in CT and worked with Aruba Productions on new and upcoming musicals. She holds a BA in English and Theatre from SUNY Binghamton, is a graduate of the National Theatre Institute, and she received a Certificate of Merit from the Drama Studio in London. Donna is a member of the League for Professional Theatre Women. She is a recipient of the New York Municipal Art Society Award of Merit and the Galaxy Award from the NY Women’s Association. Lillias White is a singer and actress of stage, television, and film. In 1989 she won an Obie Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical Romance in Hard Times. In 1997, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for portraying Sonja in Cy Coleman's The Life. She was nominated for a Tony Award again in 2010 for her work as Funmilayo in Fela Kuti's Fela!. She made her Broadway debut in Barnum in 1981. She understudied the role of Effie in the original 1981 production of Dreamgirls and played the part in the 1987 revival, for which she won the Drama League Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She has also appeared on Broadway in Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. White is also known for voicing Calliope on the Disney animated series Hercules, portraying Evette in the film Pieces of April, and for her work as Fat Annie (Cadillac's mother) in the Netflix series "The Get Down." She has also starred as Bloody Mary in Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific on PBS' Great Performances with Reba McEntire and in the PBS documentary "In Performance at the White House". She is also an active cabaret singer and has appeared in concert with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and at Carnegie Hall. Jonathan Cerullo (Director/Choreographer) Broadway/NYC: choreography consultant: Say, Goodnight Gracie; assistant director and/or choreographer: Band in Berlin, Anna Karenina, The Three Musketeers, Legs Diamond (original cast); Choreographer: Big Apple Circus’ Carnivale! & Picturesque @ Lincoln Center. As performer National Tours of Cats and Sweet Charity with Donna McKechnie. Off-Broadway/Concert: director and choreographer: Musicals Tonight! The Boys from Syracuse; producer/director: Feinstein's | 54 Below, Legs Diamond Reunion Concert; director and/or choreographer: The Flip Side, No Foolin' (Amas), Fictitious (Theatre Now NY, 2017 Best Director); at NYMF: Windywoo, Under Fire (2009 Best of Fest), La Mama; Pins and Needles, Uta Hagen’s Tribute. TV: created/directed, "Dear Mr. Gershwin" (Canadian Broadcast Company), choreographer: “Evening at Pops,” assistant director: “Donny Osmond's, This Is the Moment” and “Natalie Cole’s Christmas Special” (all w/ PBS Great Performances). Film: The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives, and The Cowboy Way. Regional: Denver Center, Goodspeed, Arena Stage, Berkshire Festival, Uta Hagen in Six Dance Lessons; Geffen Playhouse. SDC, AEA, DG, Callaway and Lortel Awards committees. Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) now in its 50th year of continuous operation is New York City’s award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas (“you love” in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of underserved young people in the New York area. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, including Broadway and the Bard, starring Len Cariou and Red Eye of Love, which was awarded the Joseph A. Callaway Award for Outstanding Choreography. Its production of The Other Josh Cohen received six 2013 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical, a 2013 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical, and a 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance nomination for Best New Musical. Other shows that Amas has developed include A Taste of Chocolate, Triassic Parq, The Countess of Storyville, Distant Thunder, Marry Harry, Me and Miss Monroe, Aesop & Company, Signs of Life, Wanda’s World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, From My Hometown, Zanna, Don’t!, 4 Guys Named Jose and Stormy Weather: Reimagining Lena Horne. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools. |
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| Link | https://www.amasmusical.org/ |
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