WP Theater’s Annual Gala 2024
On May 20, 2024 we celebrated WP Theater’s 46th Anniversary Season with our annual gala at the Edison Ballroom. The 2024 Gala was chaired by TONY MONTENIERI and vice-chaired by DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP, MCJ AMELIOR FOUNDATION, THOMAS SCHUMACHER & MATTHEW WHITE, THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION and LISA TIMMEL & DAVID MARKUS.
Our annual gala is our biggest party and fundraiser of the year, and we are honored to celebrate truly outstanding Women+ ground breakers and ceiling smashers in a wide variety of fields. It has been our privilege to highlight the unique accomplishments of these extraordinary artists, activists, philanthropists, and leaders in the arts and business.
The brilliant Women+ artists and leaders we honored this year were Award-winning actress, singer, and author, SUTTON FOSTER; Award-winning actor, producer, and advocate, LACHANZE; and EVP, Producing and Development & Executive Producer Disney Theatrical Group, ANNE QUART. To add to the festivities we had special appearances from WP artists who have led some of Broadway’s recent hits, Tony-nominated directors LEIGH SILVERMAN (SUFFS) and WHITNEY WHITE (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding). We also had exclusive performances from SUFFS with HANNAH CRUZ and HAWLEY GOULD, an unforgettable medley of some of Disney’s best classics featuring SONYA BALSARA, PEARL KHWEZI, MANDY GONZALEZ, AISHA JACKSON, and KARA LINDSAY, plus a thrilling evening closer from Violet by the phenomenal JOSHUA HENRY.
Your support not only helps us celebrate the amazing honorees we highlight each year, but also helps WP continue our work as the nation’s largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of Women+ artists. We are proud to empower our amazing community of Women+ artitsts who are doing the work and leading as bold change-makers and advocates in the industry.
ABOUT THE HONOREES
Sutton Foster is a Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer who was most recently seen as Mrs. Lovett in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opposite Aaron Tveit at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Prior, Sutton recently led the New York City Center Encores! adaptation of Once Upon a Mattress in an acclaimed turn as Princess Winnifred.
The two-time Tony-winning actress starred as Marian Paroo in the 2022 Broadway Revival of The Music Man at the Winter Garden Theatre. Her performance earned her seventh Tony Award nomination as well as the coveted 2022 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.
In the summer of 2021, Sutton reprised one of her most notable roles as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre in London in which she earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. A cinematic version of the show had a subsequent limited release in US and Australia theaters. Her original performance in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre earned her a 2011 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Sutton starred as The Baker’s Wife in the Hollywood Bowl’s sold-out summer 2019 production of Into the Woods. Previously, she appeared in the title role of the New Group’s 50th anniversary revival of Sweet Charity and in Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley’s Tony-nominated Broadway revival, Violet. Sutton also appeared on stage as Queenie in New York City Center Encores! Off-Center’s production of The Wild Party in July 2015.
Under the direction of Michael Mayer, Sutton starred as Millie Dillmount in the 2002 Broadway production of Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Marquis Theatre. Originating the role, she established herself as one of the greatest talents in the industry and earned her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Foster has originated numerous notable roles, including Princess Fiona in Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire’s Shrek the Musical at The Broadway Theatre, as well as Inga in Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan’s parody of the horror film genre, Young Frankenstein, at Foxwoods Theatre.
Sutton’s performance as Janet Van De Graaff in Casey Nicholaw’s The Drowsy Chaperone at the Marquis Theatre in 2006 earned her Tony Award, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Ovation Award nominations. Among her other theater credits include: Les Misérables, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Annie and Grease. In addition, Sutton made her Off-Broadway debut as Prudence in Paul Weitz’s comedy, Trust which showed at Second Stage Theatre and starred Zach Braff, Bobby Cannavale, and Ari Graynor.
In the fall of 2021, Sutton became a first-time author with the release of her memoir Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life. The page turner is comprised of funny and intimate stories and reflections about how crafting has kept her sane while navigating the highs and lows of family, love, and show business.
On television, Sutton led the critically acclaimed TV Land series, “Younger.” Created by “Sex in the City’s” Darren Star and styled by the iconic Pat Field, the esteemed series was the longest running original series in TV Land history.
Sutton first collaborated Amy Sherman-Palladino when she starred as Michelle Simms in the beloved ABC Family series, “Bunheads.” She reunited with Amy Sherman-Palladino later guest starring roles in the Netflix revival of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” and the final season of Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Sutton’s additional on-screen credits include ABC’s “A Million Little Things,” CBS drama “Instinct,” HBO’s comedy series “Flight of the Conchords,” USA Network’s “Royal Pains,” “Law & Order: SUV,” “Elementary,” “Psych” and guest appearances on the well-known children series Disney’s “Johnny and the Sprites,” and PBS’s “Sesame Street.”
As a solo artist, Sutton has toured the country with her hit solo concert which featured songs from her debut solo CD “Wish” as well as her follow up CD, “An Evening with Sutton Foster: Live at the Cafe Carlyle.” She has also graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Feinstein’s, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series and many others. Sutton released her third solo album, “Take Me to the World,” through Ghostlight Deluxe, June 1, 2018.
Sutton Foster holds an honorary doctorate from Ball State University, where she also teaches.
LaChanze – With a career that has spanned thirty-eight Broadway seasons, LaChanze consistently brings women of complexity and triumph into the cultural lexicon.
Last season, LaChanze made her debut as producer on two shows, the 20th anniversary revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-Winning play, Topdog/Underdog, as well as Kimberly Akimbo, a new musical by Tony Award-Winning Composer Jeanine Tesori and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, earning a combined 11 Tony Award nominations and 6 Tony Award wins, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical, respectively. This season, she produced Kimberly Akimbo, Here Lies Love by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White. In Spring 2024, she will join the producing team of The Outsiders, a new musical based on S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel. In Fall 2024, she will make her New York City directorial debut with Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness at Classic Stage Company.
LaChanze won a Tony Award for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple, originated the role of Ti Moune in Once on This Island (Tony Award nomination), and upheld her commitment to artistic excellence as Wiletta in Alice Childress’ historic play, Trouble In Mind (Tony Award nomination). Other notable stage performances include roles in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Tony Award nomination), A Christmas Carol, The Secret Life of Bees, If/Then, The Wiz, Ragtime, Uptown… It’s Hot! and Dreamgirls.
On screen, she has delivered memorable roles in both TV and film including: “East New York,” “The Blacklist,” “Handel’s Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise” (Emmy Award), “Melinda,” “The Help,” HBO’s “The Night Of,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Good Fight,” “Sex And The City,” and Disney animated feature film “Hercules” among other titles.
She is the President of Black Theatre United, a community of creatives dedicated to awareness, accountability, and advocacy. Proud mother of Celia Rose and Zaya LaChanze. She resides in Westchester, New York with her three cats and gardening hats.
Anne Quart serves as the EVP, Producing and Development, Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) and as Executive Producer on the division’s current and future shows, overseeing the global slate of stage shows from inception to execution.
Over her 22 years, Quart previously served as Senior Vice President of Production and Co-Producer for DTG. Based in New York City, Quart began her career in Canada at the Stratford Festival at the age of 6. After several years as a child actor, she transitioned from the stage to work in costume construction as a wardrobe manager, followed by eight years as the head of a busy scene shop built for Broadway. She joined Disney Theatrical Productions in 2002 as Production Manager for The Lion King and served as Associate Producer for all subsequent companies worldwide. Throughout her tenure, she came to hold her title, Co-Producer, for all DTP productions, including Newsies, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, and Aida. Quart is also the co-producer of Fathom’s record-breaking film capture of Newsies. Quart is married and has two beautiful daughters.
ABOUT THE HOST
EDEN ESPINOSA – Actress and singer, Eden Espinosa’s career, both on stage and screen, has spanned over two decades.
Espinosa is a Tony nominee for her performance as Tamara De Lempicka in the new Broadway musical Lempicka. Directed by Rachel Chavkin, with music and lyrics by Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer, the musical follows the story of Tamara De Lempicka, a Polish artist best known for her Art Deco portraits, as she flees the upheaval of the 1917 Russian Revolution to Paris. She has been with the show since its developmental stage at the Willamstown Theatre Festival and went on to star in it at The Jolla Playhouse. She is thrilled to return to Broadway and originate her second titular role on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre this spring.
Previously, Espinosa was seen on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked. She made her Broadway debut as Maureen in the closing company of Rent. Espinosa was also seen as Brooklyn in Brooklyn the Musical. She was most recently seen Off-Broadway in the role of Mami in Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center. Espinosa has also portrayed Trina in Falsettos in the national tour. Her additional theatrical work encompasses performances in Rain at The Old Globe, In the Heights (as Daniela at the Kennedy Center), Lizzie (playing Emma Borden at Signature), and Merrily We Roll Along (as Mary at Huntington).
In addition to her stage credits, Eden can be seen in Disney’s “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” as the voice of The Queen of Hearts, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination. Her voice can also be heard in “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure,” “Robot Chicken,” “Mad TV,” “Elena of Avalor,” and “Titan Maximum.” Eden’s original music is available on all streaming platforms. @edenespinosa