All net proceeds will be donated entirely to The Family Equality Council
Our Cast
Broadway star Will Roland, Dear Evan Hansen, and lead in acclaimed, Broadway-bound Be More Chill will head our cast. He will be performing with Stan Ponte, NYU Tisch School of the Art Graduate, current president of the Drama League and senior global Real Estate advisor at Sotheby’s International Realty. Actress Annaliese Kirby, NYU Tisch Graduate and founder of the NoName Collective Theatre Company, lately distinguished for portraying both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at The Yard theatre. Andy Monroe a singer, songwriter, and dramatist based in New York City. Tony Award winner Pearl Berman will direct.
WILL ROLAND Brooklyn-based actor, singer and human. He will appear in "Be More Chill" on Broadway, opening in February 2019. More recently, he appeared in "Dear Evan Hansen," "The Black Suits" and "LoserSongs." His TV appearances include "Billions," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Red Oaks." He is a proud longtime member of Joe Iconis & Family, who present a completely unique theatrical experience: part rock gig, part classic show-tune singaolng, part immersive theatrical event. Twitter: @will_roland, Instagram: @actually_will_roland. (www.will-roland.com)
Annaliese Kirby NYC based actor/producer and co-founder of the No Name Collective. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch, where she double majored in Theater and Psychology and minored in Producing. Kirby has worked professionally in theater, television and feature films and is passionate about bringing classical texts to young audiences and producing theater for female-led organizations. Recent productions include "A Midsummer Night's Dream "(NNC), "HVMLET" (Dir. Tatiana Baccari and Wednesday Sue Derrico), and "Macbeth" (NNC). Favorite roles include Gretchen (Boeing Boeing), Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth).
Stan Ponte President of The Drama League. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he previously served on the Board of Directors of the Pre-War Condominium that he calls home and was one of the founding members of the successful Broker's Build with Habitat for Humanity NYC. He is also a strong supporter of the Anti-Violence Project, which awarded him in 2017 with their highest recognition, "The Courage Award." He also supports the work of the Bailey House, the Catskill Animal Sanctuary and the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, which he serves on the NYC Leadership Circle.
Andy Monroe Singer, songwriter, and dramatist based in New York City. He wrote the book, music, and lyrics for an original musical, "Drive," which won the 2014 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre. He composed the musical adaptation of Dan Savage's comic memoir, "The Kid," which premiered in 2010 at The New Group (dir. Scott Elliott), winning the 2010 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. It also won the 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. He received the 2001 BMI Foundation Jerry Harrington Musical Theater Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement and was a 2007-8 Dramatist Guild Fellow. In 2011 he received a Jonathan Larson Grant from the American Theatre Wing. He is a member of the BMI Lehman EngelAdvanced Musical Theatre Workshop and the BMI Librettists Workshop. He has created music for dance in NYC for thirty years, working with The Paul Taylor School, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School and The Limon Institute, among others. In 1999, he founded his recording and publishing company, Compact Risks.
Pearl Berman (director) Broadway producer and director. She co-produced "O Coward" in 1986, "The Coconuts" revival in 1997, "A Thousand Clowns" revival starring Tom Selleck in 2001 and "Enchanted April" starring Elizabeth Ashley, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2002-2003. She has produced and directed two cabaret shows to benefit the music school of the Lighthouse and has staged revivals of Broadway musicals in her home in the Hamptons.
GETTING TOGETHER FOR GOOD COMMITTEE
A charitable giving circle
Marylyn Malkin & Melanie Radley, chairs, Sue Apter, Pearl Berman, Dolly Borgia, Barbara Burger, Alex Elman Foy, Bunny Grossinger, Rita Kirby, Cynthia Maltese, Sharyn Mann, Lee Miles, Bonnie Sztam, Alice Strassburg, Selma Weiss, Neil Yperifanos
Sponsors*
Stan Ponte & John Metzner Producers
Anthony Roncalli, Lauren Pizza Director
William Pitt Sotheby's, William Larkin, Paul Breunich, Brett & Mark Kristoff Stars
*and more to come
The Family Equality Council
Envisions a future where all LGBTQ families can live in communities that recognize, respect, protect, and value the fundamental right of everyone to raise a family. Director of Finance & Transitional Operations, Melinda Micciola, will introduce the Council at our event. The evening's funds will support the Ric Swezey Memorial Fund Story Library, a video library telling the stories of everyday LGBTQ families in their struggle for lived and legal equality. Learn more about this worthy cause visit the Councils website today: https://www.familyequality.org/.
