The Drama League’s EMBRACE THE SEASON Gala will take place on Monday, November 13th, at the Edison Ballroom. It’s the party of the season for the Broadway community of professionals and supporters to mingle with award-winning theater luminaries. Also in the room are The Drama League’s leaders: Gabriel Stelian Shanks, the Artistic Director; Bevin Ross, the Executive Director and President of the Drama League Board of Directors Bonnie Comley. Comley said, “It is my pleasure to share how proud we are to provide essential, critical support to the American Theater. This Gala will celebrate our community by honoring the thrilling season ahead for Broadway and Off-Broadway theater and provide awareness and funds to support the artists in our Directors Project. We hope you will join us!”
The Drama League has been at the forefront of the American theater community since 1916, providing career development and artistic resources for directors and a platform for dialogue with audiences. Drama League Directors have received 22 Tony Award Nominations and nine Tony Award Wins, 20 Obie Awards, and multiple Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, Peabody, Jefferson, Drama-Logue, Helen Hayes, NAACP, GLAAD, and Princess Grace Nominations and Awards, among other honors. Over 100 alumni are Artistic Leaders of theaters and production companies across the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Collectively directing approximately 1,000 productions each season, Drama League Directors work in every aspect of the arts and entertainment industries. They have transformed, entertained, and inspired millions around the world.
This year, EMBRACE THE SEASON, designed to uplift the New York theatrical community, honors the legendary Broadway producer Jeffrey Richards. Currently represented on Broadway with the acclaimed revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, Mr. Richards is celebrating five decades as a producer and publicist. His work has championed historically excluded artists, visionary new plays, and lauded revivals, including The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Sunday in the Park with George, Fiddler on the Roof, All The Way, Glengarry Glen Ross, Chinglish, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and many more. He has employed many of America’s most noteworthy directors for these projects, including Drama League Directors Project alumni Alex Timbers, Diane Paulus, Sam Gold, Pam MacKinnon, Ari Edelson, and Michael Mayer.
EMBRACE THE SEASON, produced by Gabriel Stelian Shanks, will feature a dazzling array of exclusive performances, appearances, and “sneak peeks” of Broadway productions to come. To date, the evening includes Tony and Drama League Award Winner Annaleigh Ashford (Sweeney Todd); Lindsay Mendez (Merrily We Roll Along); Andrew Durand (Shucked); Betsy Aidem (Prayer for the French Republic); special glimpses into the upcoming Broadway musicals How To Dance In Ohio and Water For Elephants, the latter featuring the award-winning composer/band PigPen Theatre Co.; and a series of tributes to producer Jeffrey Richards, the 2023 Embrace The Season Gala Honoree, from Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, Tony Award Winner Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge, Fiddler on the Roof), and Tony nominees Norm Lewis (The Gershwins Porgy and Bess) and Jessica Hecht (Summer 1976, Fiddler on the Roof), among others. The full cast and performers will be announced in November.
The Board of Directors’ Executive Committee is Bonnie Comley (President); Joseph Pizza and Arthur Pober (Vice Presidents); Townsend Teague (Treasurer); Irene Gandy (Secretary); Gabriel Stelian-Shanks (Artistic Director); and Bevin Ross (Executive Director). Completing the Drama League Board of Directors are Elena Araoz, Tony Benten, Trish Chambers, Estefanía Fadul, Sarah Hutton, Kirk Iwanowski, Una Jackman, Mary Jain, Paula Kaminsky Davis, Jonathan Lonner, Gwynn MacDonald, Stan Ponte, Nicole A. Watson, and Kumiko Yoshii.
EMBRACE THE SEASON is chaired by Mary Jain, with major underwriting from Bob Boyett/RB Theatricals, BroadwayHD, Susan Edelstein Productions, and additional support from 101 Productions, Caiola Productions, John Gore Organization, and The Nederlander Organization.
For tickets to EMBRACE THE SEASON, www.dramaleague.org, call 212-625-1025, or email [email protected]. The suggested dress for the Gala event is festive cocktail attire; black tie is optional.