By Adam Hetrick
08 Oct 2008

Cheyenne Jackson

The best of the fifth annual New York Musical Theatre Festival will be honored at the Awards for Excellence Gala, which will take place at the Hudson Theatre Nov. 2.

In past years, the NYMF Awards Gala has honored musicals in the following categories, BEST IN FEST Audience Prize, Most Promising New Musical, Excellence in Music, Excellence in Lyrics, Excellence in Book, Excellence in Direction, Excellence in Choreography, Excellence in Overall Design, Outstanding Ensemble Performance and Outstanding Individual Performance.

Recipients of the NYMF Awards will be announced later this month.

The 6 PM evening will also honor producer Robyn Goodman, who has produced Avenue Q, In the Heights, Metamorphoses, A Class Act, Steel Magnolias, Barefoot in the Park, High Fidelity, Bat Boy, tick, tick…BOOM!, Our Lady of 121st Street, Red Light Winter and Altar Boyz.

The original NYMF cast of Altar Boyz, including Ryan Duncan, Cheyenne Jackson, David Josefsberg, Andy Karl and Tyler Maynard, will perform as part of the gala. Also set to appear are Gary Adler (Altar Boyz, Avenue Q), Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q), Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Finding Nemo: The Musical), Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights), as well as the cast of [title of show] and companies of the award-winning NYMF productions.

Tony Award-winning producer Kevin McCollum (Avenue Q, In The Heights) serves as the master of ceremonies for the evening, which will begin with cocktails and a silent auction at 6 PM, to be followed by dinner at 7 PM and the awards presentation and performances at 8:30 PM. An after-party at Trattoria Dopo Teatro will follow at 10 PM.

Tickets, ranging $200-$5,000 (table reservations), are available by phoning (212) 664-0979 ext. 13, or by e-mailing Gala@NYMF.org.

For further information visit NYMF.