Boston's SpeakEasy to Honor Rudetsky and Dowling in 2010

By Andrew Gans
19 Dec 2009

Seth Rudetsky
Seth Rudetsky

BRAVA! An Evening Honoring Seth Rudetsky and Kerry A. Dowling is the title of SpeakEasy Stage Company's annual benefit gala, which will be presented March 23, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Boston.

In a statement SpeakEasy producing artistic director Paul Daigneault said, "For a long time now, Seth Rudetsky has been a huge champion of musical theatre, particularly those smaller, innovative works that struggle to find an audience. We are pleased to honor Seth both for his own talents as a performer as well as for his support of the type of musical theatre that we like to produce here at SpeakEasy."

Boston actress Dowling will receive the company's 2010 Founder's Award, in recognition of "her many great performances as well as her support of the mission and values of SpeakEasy Stage Company." Daigneault added, "It is impossible to quantify the many contributions of Kerry A. Dowling to SpeakEasy Stage."

Both honorees will perform at the upcoming event. The evening will also include dinner, silent and live auctions, and additional performances from a roster of favorite local performers.

Dowling has appeared in more SpeakEasy shows than any other performer, having held lead or featured roles in such titles as Reckless; Jerry Springer – the Opera; The New Century; The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Parade; The Women; Bat Boy; and Company, the last for which she was named Best Supporting Actress in a Musical by the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE).

Creator and host of Seth's Broadway Chatterbox, Seth Rudetsky has served as a pit pianist and/or conductor for such Broadway shows as 42nd Street, The Full Monty, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! and The Producers. He also conceived the idea for the recent all-star The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas concert to benefit the Actors' Fund of America as well as the five previous benefit concerts, Hair, Chess, Funny Girl, On the Twentieth Century and Dreamgirls. Rudetsky was a member of the comedy writing team for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" for two years, and his awards include the Duplex's Stars of Tomorrow, the Backstage Bistro and the Funniest Gay Male in New York. He was also the author and star of the recent one man, GLAAD nominated show Rhapsody in Seth, and his new tome — "The Q Guide to Broadway" — was published by Alyson Books. Rudetsky has been seen on "Law & Order" and "All My Children" and currently pens a weekly column for Playbill.com. He made his Broadway stage debut in The Ritz.

Tickets to BRAVA! An Evening Honoring Seth Rudetsky and Kerry A. Dowling are $150 and may be purchased online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com.