The festival takes place June 17-30 with more than 300 artists in nearly 200 concerts and events at 28 venues in the New York area. Also as part of the festival, Judy Blazer (Lovemusik, Titanic, 45 Seconds From Broadway, Hello Again) and Darius de Haas (Rent, Carousel, Marie Christine) will guest star in the New York City Gay Men's Chorus' concert Take the A Train: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. Joanna Gleason, who recently received a Tony nomination for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and is a Tony winner for Into the Woods, directs the concert, which takes place June 18 at the Nokia Theatre. The playwright Jeffrey Lane (book to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) is writing text.

Other participants in the festival include Patti LaBelle, Barbara Carroll, Andre de Shields, Nancy Wilson, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, Nnenna Freelon, Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis and Dianne Reeves.

For more information visit www.festivalproductions.net.