| TONY AWARD WINNER LILLIAS WHITE TO BE HONORED AT AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE VIRTUAL BENEFIT - MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 10:29 am EST 03/11/21 | |
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| AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE TO CELEBRATE 52nd ANNIVERSARY WITH "AMAS - YOU LOVE! A HEART TO HEART VIRTUAL CELEBRATION" TONY AWARD WINNER LILLIAS WHITE TO BE HONORED WITH THE 2021 "ROSIE" AWARD FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM FOUR AMAS MUSICALS "4 GUYS NAMED JOSE…AND UNA MUJER NAMED MARÍA!" "DISTANT THUNDER" "MAYA" "HIP HOP CINDERELLA" (FEATURING "THE ACADEMY TEENS") A LOVING TRIBUTE TO ROSETTA LENOIRE SCRIPT BY JONATHAN CERULLO MUSICAL DIRECTION BY JAIME LOZANO DIRECTION BY MARIA TORRES GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING LATIN MUSIC ARTIST RUBÉN BLADES IS HONORARY CHAIR "ONE DAY AT A TIME" (NETFLIX) ACTRESS JUSTINA MACHADO IS MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 New York, NY - 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, will celebrate its 52nd Anniversary with Amas - You Love!: A Heart to Heart Virtual Celebration on Monday, May 10, 2021. Honorary Chair for the event is Grammy Award-winning Latin recording artist and activist Rubén Blades. "One Day at a Time" (Netflix) actress Justina Machado will be Mistress of Ceremonies. The evening will be streamed online at www.amasmusical.org . The gala evening will begin at 6pm and will include performances from four (4) Amas Musicals: 4 Guys Named Jose…and una mujer named María!, Distant Thunder, MAYA, and Hip Hop Cinderella (featuring the Academy Teens), and an original Spoken Word piece about Amas founder Rosetta LeNoire, composed and written by Rona Siddiqui. Casting will be announced at a later date. "The Rosie Award is given every year to an outstanding individual - or individuals - who are leaders in their fields. Our Honoree this year exemplifies the spirit of Rosetta LeNoire, through her stellar work, as well as for being a champion of a diverse and inclusive society. We are very proud to be honoring Lillias White, a cherished member of the Amas family" says Donna Trinkoff , Amas Artistic Producer. Tickets are $500? (Platinum), $250? (Gold) and $125 (Silver) and can be purchased online at www.amasmusical.org, or by calling (212) 563-2565. ?Ticket buyers at this level will receive party packages at their home to enjoy the evening of the benefit. In addition, a Benefit Journal will be published online. All proceeds of the evening will benefit Amas education and theatre programs. More information is at www.amasmusical.org . This Virtual Benefit evening is being presented in accordance with the Theatre Authority. 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 on producers and theatre companies who exemplify her commitment to multicultural production and casting. Following in Rosie's footsteps, for the past 27 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 51 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 over the past fifty years" says Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer. "We will continue to honor Rosie's vision as we look to the next 50 years." Bios Lillias White (Honoree) 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. Rubén Blades (Honorary Chairman) Latin Music icon Rubén Blades was at the center of the New York Salsa revolution in the 1970's. His landmark albums in classic Afro-Cuban salsa are touched with rock, jazz, pan-Latin, and worldwide influences. Blades has collaborated with rock, jazz, pop, hip-hop, reggaeton, and salsa artists, and has composed hundreds of songs and dozens of hits, known for their eloquent, socially charged lyrics, colorful characters, and memorable melodies. His 2017 album Salsa Big Band was named the Latin Grammy Album of the Year. He is the subject of the 2018 award-winning documentary Yo No Me Llamo Rubén Blades directed by Abner Benaim. He has won 17 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, and this year returns to star in the AMC television series "Fear the Walking Dead". He has starred in Hands Of Stone opposite Robert De Niro, and in Safe House opposite Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Blades has played memorable roles in films with such acclaimed directors as Robert Redford in The Milagro Beanfield War, Robert Rodriguez in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spike Lee in Mo' Better Blues, Alan Pakula in The Devil's Own, and Jack Nicholson in The Two Jakes. He was nominated for three Emmys for his roles in the television movies "The Josephine Baker Story", "Crazy From The Heart", and "The Maldonado Miracle". His work has been honored with Cable ACE, Independent Spirit, and ALMA Awards, and honored with the Raúl Juliá HOLA Founders Award and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation's Arts Award. Beyond Blades' artistic success, he holds degrees in political science and law from the University of Panama, and an LLM from Harvard Graduate Law School. He ran for President of his native Panama in 1994 and served as Minister of Tourism 2004-2009. The Loeb Music Library at Harvard University formed The Rubén Blades Archives in 2008 to collect his work and papers. New York University Steinhardt appointed him Scholar in Residence for the 2018/2019 academic year. Justina Machado (Mistress of Ceremonies) is most recently known for her role as Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix series "One Day at a Time." Born in Chicago, Ms. Alvarez began her career as a member of the Latino Chicago Theater Company. That experience led her first to New York and then to Los Angeles where she found success on television with appearances on "NYPD Blue" and the made for television movie No One Would Tell. Additional television credits include "Jane the Virgin," HBO's "Six Feet Under" and "ER", "Body of Proof","Devious Maids","Queen of the South," "Private Practice", "Superstore" and in the recent remake of All in the Family. She was a celebrity contestant on the 29th season of "Dancing With the Stars" placing 4th with her partner Sasha Farber. She has appeared in over 15 films, including She's So Lovely, Final Destination 2, Torque, Little Fugitive, The Accidental Husband, The Purge:Anarchy, and In the Electric Mist. Ms. Machado's stage work includes the Broadway musical In the Heights, Neil LaBute's Some Girl(s) at the Geffen Playhouse, Blade to the Heat and Black Butterfly at the Mark Taper Forum, and in the Los Angeles production of Nora Ephron's Love, Loss and What I Wore. She can be seen in the upcoming documentary "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It." Maria Torres (Director) has an extensive professional career that spans the theatrical and commercial markets as a choreographer, director, performer, and beyond. Her Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban heritage has always inspired and informed her artistry, leading to the cultivation of "Latin Jazz" as a dance technique. Co-founder and Artistic Director of her non-profit organization MTEAF (Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation) continues to train, mentor, supervise, and develop performing artists worldwide. Maria is a two- time Clio Award winner for her choreography and has worked with producers and directors at MTV, NBC, HBO, BBC, and Walt Disney. Her stage choreography credits include Choreographer for Four Guys Named Jose (Lucille Lortel and Carbonelle award-nominated for Best Choreography - produced by Enrique Iglesias), Associate Choreographer for the Oscar-nominated film Enchanted, Choreographer for the contemporary reworking of Man of La Mancha (5th Avenue Theatre), Choreographer for Luis Valdes' critically acclaimed revival of Zoot Suit for the 50th Anniversary of Center Theatre Group, and Associate Choreographer for the Tony-Nominated Musical On Your Feet; and Associate Choreographer of the Off-broadway for Tony award-winning musical, In The Heights. She is also an Artist Associate at The Rosetta LeNoire Amas Musical Theatre. Maria won two Choreography Festival Awards for her original pieces as guest choreographer of US National Fox's show "So You Think You Can Dance" and two seasons on Canada's "So You Think You Can Dance." Two of her choreographed dances were top best for the season. Her work spans dance, theater, and musical acts worldwide, such as working with music icons Don Omar and Enrique Iglesias. Creative direction and choreographer for programs Latin Billboard Awards , NBC's Radio City's reopening gala NBC's "America's Got Talent," Amazon's "The Tick," co- conceiving, choreographer and director of the musical Magic Of Salsa Kingdom and the Off-Broadway hit Latin Heat. Torres is an executive board member of the Stage of Directors and Choreographers Society, the League of Professional Theatre Women, the Actor's Equity Association, and the Screen Actors Guild . Board member of the critically acclaimed ENGARDE Arts. Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) is a non-profit, multi-ethnic theatrical organization founded in 1968 by Ms. Rosetta LeNoire. Amas ("you love" in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals, the celebration of cultural equity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of inner-city young people. Amas celebrates its impact in pioneering multi-ethnic casting in the American Theatre and reiterates its commitment to this reflection of our diverse society. www.amasmusical.org |
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| Link | http://www.amasmusical.org |
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