This year's gala honors The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, an ongoing supporter of New York City arts and Second Stage Theatre, as well as playwright and filmmaker Paul Weitz, whose plays Privilege, Show People, Trust and Lonely, I'm Not have all premiered with the Off-Broadway company. The evening also celebrates the first ten years of Second Stage Uptown — and its curator, Christopher Burney — which has become an incubator for many theatre artists in the past decade.
The evening features performances from Second Stage Theatre alumni, including Tony Award nominee Stephanie J. Block (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Second Stage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark), Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris (Second Stage's Wintertime, Paul Weitz's film "Cirque du Freak"), "Modern Family" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Second Stage's Little Fish, Spelling Bee), Klena (Second Stage's Dogfight), Drama Desk nominee Mendez (Second Stage's Everyday Rapture and Dogfight, Wicked) and Wolfe (Second Stage's Everyday Rapture and The Last Five Years).
Among the evening's entertainment are two musical numbers, one of which features Nick Blaemire, Steven Booth, Adam Halpin, F. Michael Haynie and Josh Segarra from the company's world-premiere production of Dogfight, which recently received the 2013 Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.
The evening begins at 6 PM with cocktails; dinner and the performance begin at 7 PM at the Best Buy Theatre.
Honorary co-chairs for the gala are Second Stage alumni Zach Braff, Bobby Cannavale, Sutton Foster, Topher Grace, Ari Graynor and Olivia Thirlby. Founded in 1979 under the leadership of artistic director Carole Rothman, Second Stage Theatre produces a "diverse range of premieres and new interpretations of America's best contemporary theatre."
The Gala includes drinks, dinner and performance, as well as a live auction that includes the opportunity to bid on special evenings that feature Broadway stars. Tables of ten are priced at $12,500 (director table), $25,000 (producer table) and $50,000 (VIP table). Ticket pricing is as follows: $1,500 (director ticket), $2,500 (producer ticket) and $5,000 (VIP ticket). Tickets for party and performance only are $50 and $100.
The Best Buy Theatre is located at 1515 Broadway at 44th Street. For more information and tickets, visit 2ST.com or call (212) 787-8302, ext. 111.
