TYNE DALY, PETER SCOLARI, MARY TESTA
SETH RUDETSKY, TYLER MAYNARD, LISA McCORMICK and
JAMES LUDWIG scheduled to perform
GOVERNOR THOMAS H. KEAN to present Kean Award for Arts Advocacy
to Philanthropist BETTY WOLD JOHNSON
WHERE: The Heldrich, 10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick
WHEN: Sunday, May 1, 2011 (all times are approximate)
- 5 PM – Cocktails and Silent Auction
- 6:30 PM – Dinner and Remarks
- Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award presented by former Governor Thomas H. Kean to Philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson
- 7:30 PM – Cabaret performance
TICKETS: Individual tickets as well as tables of ten are available. For further information contact Justine McCarthy, GSP Development Associate, at 732.846.2895, extension 144.
Scheduled to perform (subject to change):
- TYNE DALY, Tony Award and four-time Emmy Award Winner from TV’s Cagney and Lacey, Judging Amy and Broadway’s Gypsy
- PETER SCOLARI, Emmy Award nominee from TV’s Newhart and Bosom Buddies and Star of GSP’s The Fox on the Fairway
- MARY TESTA, two-time Tony Award nominee and star of GSP’s The Fox on the Fairway
- SETH RUDETSKY, Sirius XM host of “Seth’s Big Fat Broadway” and star of GSP’s [title of show]
- TYLER MAYNARD, star of the off-Broadway hit Altar Boyz and GSP’s [title of show]
- LISA McCORMICK, from GSP’s The Fox on the Fairway
- JAMES LUDWIG, from Broadway’s Spamalot and GSP’s upcoming God of Carnage
Scheduled to speak (subject to change)
- THE HONORABLE THOMAS H. KEAN, Former Governor and Chairman of the Federal 9-11 Commission, Current Chairman, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- George Street Playhouse Board Chairman STEVEN M. DARIEN. Mr. Darien is a principal of The Cabot Advisory Group
- George Street Playhouse Artistic Director DAVID SAINT
- Gala Chairperson ADELAIDE ZAGOREN
Former Governor Thomas H. Kean will be on hand to personally present the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award to Betty Wold Johnson. The first award was given to Governor Kean in 1990 and thereafter, named in his honor to pay tribute to an individual, corporation or foundation whose dedication to the arts enhances the cultural life of the citizens of New Jersey. Mrs. Johnson is a longtime friend of the Playhouse and a noted supporter and advocate of the arts in New Jersey.
In addition, the Playhouse’s 37th season will be celebrated with anecdotes and performances as part of the evening’s entertainment. Adelaide M. Zagoren, Past President of the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, serves as Honorary Benefit Chairperson. Janice P. Haggerty of Bedminster and Gabriella Vajtay of Somerset serve as Auction Co-Chairpersons. The silent auction is one of the highlights of the Playhouse’s Annual Gala, and offers luxury vacation trips, home furnishings, tickets to hard-to-get Broadway shows and top sports venues and much more. Commemorative Journal Chairpersons are Kenneth M. Fisher, Jr. and Lora Tremayne, and Robert Campbell serves as Tables Chairperson.
Betty Wold Johnson has supported arts organizations throughout the state of New Jersey, both large and small, including non-profits in New Brunswick, Princeton and Newark. Most notably, she made the single largest individual gift to NJPAC in 2008, the first in their history. Mrs. Johnson has also supported George Street Playhouse with gifts to its endowment as well as its general operations, and project support for its exceptional theatre education programs.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theater, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway—recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 60,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by its lead season sponsor Johnson & Johnson. United Airlines is the official airline of George Street Playhouse.
