Tony Award-Winner Dick Latessa, Honorary Board Chair, will bring together Broadway stars to help raise funds for Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY) – which uses drama therapy to help New York’s most vulnerable children and adults – later this month.
This year’s 2012 Annual Gala, which highlights the CANY mission with the theme of “Creativity+ Community+ Change = Rebuilding Lives,” is to be held at the Edison Hotel Ballroom (240 West 47th Street) on April 30, 2012. The 2012 Honorees are Broadway veteran, film and TV star Anita Gillette and CANY Chair Emerita, Ellen Kealy.
Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails, appetizers and silent auction. The program starting at 8:00 pm includes musical performances by Ann Hampton Callaway and Anita Gillette. Other leading Broadway actors appearing on stage include Norbert Leo Butz (Tony winner, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Tony nominee, Catch Me If You Can); Dick Latessa (Tony winner, Hairspray); Cady Huffman (Tony winner, The Producers), as well as a performance by Grammy winner, Billy Stritch.
The Honorary Committee for the event includes Kristin Chenoweth.
For additional information, contact CANY at (212) 222-1969, or publicrelations@cany.org.
For 29 years, Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY) has been offering drama therapy programs to traumatized children and adults in the New York Metropolitan area, helping them to build new life skills and realize their potential through the art of drama. Working in partnership with leading social service organizations and health care institutions, CANY provides approximately 1,400 therapeutic theatre groups annually in residential centers for children and youth, special schools, veterans mental health centers, and domestic violence safe shelters.
CANY was recently honored with the 2012 Aaron Stein Memorial Fund Award by The American Group Psychotherapy Association given to organizations that utilize the creative applications of group theory and technique to benefit the community, particularly in non-psychotherapeutic settings.
“As an artist, I strongly believe that theater can change lives,” said Academy Award-winner and CANY Board Member Susan Sarandon. “At CANY this is being proven on a daily basis.”
