HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY
CELEBRATES VIRTUAL GALA
“SPOTLIGHT ON TRAILBLAZERS”
ONLINE AUCTION NOW OPEN
THRU JUNE 20 –
INCLUDES A MET GALA
EXPERIENCE WITH
EMMY, GRAMMY, TONY WINNER
BILLY PORTER
HIGHLIGHTS WILL AIR ON
WCVB-TV CHANNEL 5 ON
SATURDAY, JUNE 20 AT
7:30PM
(BOSTON)
– Huntington Theatre Company celebrated its first ever virtual gala
fundraiser, Spotlight on Trailblazers, on Monday, June 15, 2020,
streaming on the Huntington’s Facebook and YouTube channels. The event will be reprised in a
highlights version broadcast on Boston’s WCVB-TV Channel 5 on Saturday, June 20
at 7:30pm.
Huntington
Trustee and corporate and philanthropic leader Sandra O. Moose and Tony
Award winner and Huntington alumnus Ruben Santiago-Hudson (American
Gangster, Selma, ABC’s “Castle”) were honored with the Wimberly
Award at the 2020 Spotlight on Trailblazers. Santiago-Hudson appeared on the
Huntington stage in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars and Gem of the
Ocean, both of which went on to Broadway where he received the Tony Award
for his performance in Seven Guitars. The Huntington was slated to
present his autobiographical show Lackawanna Blues this summer, before
it was postponed due to the pandemic.
The
Spotlight on Trailblazers event is co-hosted by WCVB’s host of “CityLine” and
Director of Public Affairs and Community Services Karen Holmes Ward and Joyce
Kulhawik, Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, Joyce’s Choices critic,
and President of the Boston Theater Critics Association. The event chairs are
Trustee Ann Merrifield and her husband Wayne Davis. Performances
at the event feature Huntington alumni and Broadway luminaries Kate Baldwin,
Keith David, Santino Fontana, and Marva Hicks.
In
her Wimberly Award acceptance speech, Trustee Sandra O. Moose called the
Huntington “a vital catalyst,” saying, “I believe in the Huntington, in the
work that the Huntington does for artists and young people in Boston and
beyond. And I believe in a future for the Huntington and theatre as an
art form that will emerge stronger than ever to enrich our lives as they always
have.”
In
a heartfelt acceptance speech that acknowledged the protests and racial
struggles in this country, actor and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson declared,
“We are human beings. There is nothing in human life that is foreign to us.
These are dark days, but I vow to go out and be a beacon of light.”
Tony,
Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots on
Broadway, FX’s “Pose”) joined the event as a special guest, speaking as a
champion of the Huntington’s education programs. “Theatre saved my life,” said
Porter, as he encouraged all to support Huntington programs that help young
people thrive. Porter has directed several Huntington productions including Topdog/Underdog,
The Colored Museum, and most recently The Purists last fall.
Porter
generously donated a once-in-a-lifetime experience to the Huntington’s online
auction – the opportunity to join this fashion icon as he prepares and arrives
on the red carpet for the 2021 Met Gala in New York City. Additional auction
items include exclusive experiences and items including a virtual visit with
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel and a curated theatre
weekend with Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois. The
Huntington’s 2020 Spotlight on Trailblazers Auction is open to participation
from the general public now through midnight on June 20 by visiting huntingtontheatre.org/support/gala. 50% of all auction
proceeds will be shared with the Codman Academy Charter Public School
Foundation, in celebration and support of the Huntington’s founding partnership
with and the upcoming 20th anniversary of the school.
Spotlight
on Trailblazers also included moving and powerful performances from Tony
Award-nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello Dolly!, Big Fish, She Loves Me at
the Huntington) who sang “Hold On” from The Secret Garden; Keith
David (Seven Guitars at the Huntington and on Broadway, There’s
Something About Mary, Crash) who sang “If I Can Help Somebody” and “Here’s
to Life” as a tribute to Santiago-Hudson; Tony Award winner Santino Fontana
(Tootsie, Disney feature film Frozen, CW’s “Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend”) who serenaded honoree Sandy Moose with a version of “Hello,
Dolly!”; and award-winning actress and R&B singer, and Santiago-Hudson
collaborator, Marva Hicks (The Lion King, Caroline or Change, Motown
The Musical) who rounded out the event with a rousing rendition of “Higher
Love.” Matthew Stern served as the music director and pianist for the
event, with musicians Nick Francese on bass and Josh Goldman on
percussion.
In
addition to the Wimberly Award honorees, the event celebrated the winners of
the Gerard and Sherryl Cohen Awards for Excellence, which recognizes
Huntington production and administrative staff members each year. This year’s
recipients were Graphic Designer Lauren Calder and Calderwood Pavilion
House Electrician Taylor Ness.
The
Huntington’s festive annual event raises funds to support the Huntington’s
programs, including its award-winning youth, education, and community
initiatives that reach more than 30,000 annually. Over 400 people viewed
this virtual fundraiser Monday night, the first in Huntington’s history, as
they celebrated two Huntington trailblazers; ticket buyers and sponsors were
given access to a VIP experience including a custom party box and a Zoom
cocktail reception with Huntington artists and guests, and the YouTube and
Facebook Live streaming was available to all. The online auction continues
through Saturday, June 20 at midnight.
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