PhotosSee Katrina Lenk, Danny Burstein, Telly Leung, and More at Theatre Forward GalaComposer David Yazbek and the works of the late August Wilson were celebrated at the annual event.
By
Hannah Vine
April 10, 2018
David Yazbek and Katrina Lenk
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Theatre Forward, which is dedicated to advancing American theatres and its communities, presented its Chairman’s Awards Gala April 9 at The Pierre New York.
The 40th anniversary celebration featured the presentation of three awards: Oscar nominee Chazz Palminteri presented the Legacy Award for the works of August Wilson, six-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein presented the Creative Achievement Award to David Yazbek (The Band's Visit), and LORT President and Guthrie Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein presented the 40th Anniversary Corporate Leadership Award to Citi.
Performers included Katrina Lenk and the musicians of The Band's Visit, Beth Leavel and Matthew Sklar performing a song from The Prom, Kathryn Bostic performing a musical tribute to August Wilson with trumpeter Eddie Allen, plus Carrie St. Louis, Telly Leung, Julia Murney, and Zak Resnick performing a 40th anniversary medley arranged by Geraldine Anello and choreographed by Patrick O'Neill.
Flip through photos of the evening below:
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See Katrina Lenk, Danny Burstein, Telly Leung, and More at Theatre Forward Gala
See Katrina Lenk, Danny Burstein, Telly Leung, and More at Theatre Forward Gala
David Yazbek and the works of the late August Wilson were celebrated at the annual event.
28 PHOTOS
Jessica Hecht and Danny Burstein
Danny Burstein
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Beth Leavel
Ann Van Cleave and Beth Leavel
Matthew Sklar and Beth Leavel
Matthew Sklar
David Yazbek and Danny Burstein
Elizabeth Yazbek and David Yazbek
David Yazbek
David Cromer, Orin Wolf, David Yazbek, and Itamar Moses
There was also a toast for Carey Perloff, outgoing artistic director of American Conservatory Theater; and George Smith, former Theatre Forward Board Member, and SpongeBob SquarePants' Ethan Slater and Mean Girls' Taylor Louderman discussed the importance of theatre education.
A new scholarship will send three young writers to the 2026 International Thespian Festival to work directly with Playbill on coverage of the week-long event.
