PHOTOS & VIDEO RELEASED
WITH ORIGINAL BROADWAY STARS SIX-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER AUDRA MCDONALD, TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL, SAG AWARD WINNER PETER FRIEDMAN AND TONY AWARD WINNER KELLI O’HARA
AT THE MINSKOFF THEATRE
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MARIN MAZZIE, TERRENCE MCNALLY, FRANK GALATI, E.L. DOCTOROW AND MORE
New York, NY (March 30, 2023) – On Monday night, the Entertainment Community Fund’s long-awaited one-night-only benefit reunion concert of Ragtime took place at the Minskoff Theatre to a sold-out crowd and raised more than $1 million in support of the programs and services to help people in the performing arts and entertainment community. The event celebrated the 25th anniversary of the show’s Broadway opening and starred original cast members Emmy, Grammy and six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (“Sarah”), two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (“Coalhouse Walker, Jr.”) and SAG Award winner Peter Friedman (“Tateh”), with Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara (“Mother”) in the role originally performed by the late Marin Mazzie.
To download photos, please click HERE. To view video, please click HERE. For embed code, please click HERE.
Official merchandise from the one-night-only concert is also now on sale online. To purchase merchandise, please click HERE.
All proceeds from this one-night only benefit concert, as well as net proceeds from the sale of merchandise, benefit the programs and services offered by the Fund.
Lea Michele, who originated the role of “Little Girl”, introduced a Tribute segment honoring Ragtime company members who have passed away throughout the past 25 years.
“The Ragtime reunion concert was such a gift to everyone involved: everyone on stage performing and working tirelessly backstage to make it happen; all those in the audience, many of whom had held on to their original tickets for over three years; and the people in our entertainment community who the Fund will be able to help thanks to everyone’s support and generosity,” shared Mitchell, who also serves as Chair of the Fund.
Additional cast members included Mark Aldrich, Shaun Amyot, John D. Baker, Jack Baumrind, Darlene Bel Grayson, Dara Paige Bloomfield, Sandra M. Bonitto, Sherry Boone, Jack Casey, Mark Cassius, Jamie Chandler-Torns, Albert Christmas, Jim Corti, Pierce Cravens, Larry Daggett, Bernard Dotson, Roberta Duchak, Donna Dunmire, Adam Dyer, Duane Martin Foster, Patty Goble, Elisa Heinsohn, David Hess, Adam Hunter, Mark Jacoby, Kimberly JaJuan, Anne Kanengeiser, Judy Kaye, Mary Sharon Komarek (Dziedzic), Joe Langworth, Kai Latorre, Joe Locarro, Dan Manning, Michael X. Martin, Mary McCandless, Anne L. Nathan, Lynnette Perry, Orgena Rose, Gordon Stanley, Steven Sutcliffe, Addyson Evelyn Tabankin, Keith Thomas, Todd Thurston, Vanessa Townsell-Crisp, Allyson Tucker, Rema Webb, Leon Williams, Bruce Winant and Eric Jordan Young.
To download headshots, click here.
Based on the classic American novel by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime has a book by Terrence McNally (Master Class, Love! Valour! Compassion!) and a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Once On This Island, Anastasia, Seussical). The evening was directed by Stafford Arima, with James Moore as music director and conductor. On the original Broadway production, Mr. Arima served as associate resident director, David Loud as musical director and conductor and Mr. Moore as associate conductor. Additional credits for the one-night-only evening include Wendall K. Harrington and Shawn Boyle as projections designers, Peter Hylenski as sound designer, Don Holder as lighting designer, Tracy Christensen as costume designer and casting by MUNGIOLI THEATRICALS, INC., Arnold J. Mungioli, CSA. This evening is executive produced by Robert Pullen of Nouveau Productions.
The original Broadway production of Ragtime opened on January 18, 1998, at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Lyric Theatre) and played for 834 performances. The show received 14 Tony Award nominations and won for Best Book of a Musical (Terrence McNally), Best Original Score (Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Audra McDonald) and Best Orchestrations (William David Brohn).
The Fund is grateful to the following sponsors for their support of this one-night-only concert reunion: The Nederlander Organization, Ford Foundation, Art Lab, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Iris Smith, Adrienne Arsht, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ExxonMobil, Michael Kors and the Thomas S. Perakos Family Cares Foundation.
ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND
The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, encourage resiliency and be a safety net for those who shape our country’s cultural vibrancy. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org.
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