WP THEATER ANNUAL GALA

WP’s annual gala honors truly outstanding Women+ who have taken risks, pushed limits, and broken ground in a wide variety of fields, celebrating their unique accomplishments. We began presenting these awards in 1986 as part of WP’s annual gala, and it has been our privilege each year since to honor extraordinary artists, business people, activists, philanthropists, and others across multiple disciplines throughout the country.

Past honorees include: Presidential Medal of Freedom winners DR. MAYA ANGELOU and GLORIA STEINEM; Academy Award-winning actress, ARIANA DEBOSE; multiple film and stage award-winning actress, DAME JUDI DENCH; Award-winning actress, singer, and author, SUTTON FOSTER; Academy Award-winning actresses WHOOPI GOLDBERG; Founder of Octopus Theatricals and Tony and Grammy Award-winning producer of Hadestown, MARA ISAACS; Award-winning actor, producer, and advocate, LACHANZE; Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actress DEBRA MESSING; EVP, Producing and Development & Executive Producer Disney Theatrical Group, ANNE QUART; Triple crown award-winning actress, DAME VANESSA REDGRAVE; President of the John Gore Organization and Chair of the Broadway League, LAUREN REID; Tony Award-winning Actress CHITA RIVERA; Former Chairperson and CEO of Warner Brothers ANNE SARNOFF; Academy Award-nominated actress, activist, and singer-songwriter AMANDA SEYFRIED; Acclaimed Broadway director, storyteller, and founder of Black Theater United, SCHELE WILLIAMS; Award-winning singer, actress, and humanitarian, VANESSA WILLIAMS and more!

Special performances and appearances have included: LILLI COOPER (Broadway’s Tootsie, Spongebob Squarepants); ANDRÉ DE SHIELDS and ANAÏS MITCHELL (Tony Award-Winning Performer, and Tony Award-Winning Creator of Hadestown); EDEN ESPINOSA (Tony Award nominee, Lempika); SEAN HAYES (Tony Award winner, Good Night, Oscar); JOSHUA HENRY (Grammy Award-winning and three-time Tony Award nominee); BETH MALONE (Tony Award nominee, Fun Home); AUDRA McDONALD (Six-time Tony Award winner); TERRENCE McNALLY (Four-time Tony and Emmy Award winner); KATHY NAJIMY (Award-winning actress, comedian & activist); BEBE NEUWIRTH (Tony Award & Emmy Award winner); ALEX NEWELL (Tony Award winner, Shucked); SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY (“New Amsterdam,” “Heroes”); THOMAS SADOSKI (CBS’s “Life In Pieces”, “The Newsroom”); HEIDI SCHRECK (Tony Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize Finalist); MARGO SEIBERT (Broadway’s In Transit, Rocky); LEIGH SILVERMAN (Tony and Drama Desk award nominated director); MARLO THOMAS (Four-time Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award winner); WHITNEY WHITE (Obie Award-winning and Tony nominated director) and more!

As the single biggest fundraising event in our fiscal year, our gala is typically held at the Edison Ballroom and features a cocktail hour –with signature cocktails of the evening– a full dinner, live performances, auction, and more.

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When we say Women+ we mean people who are cis women, trans, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming people, and all gender identities which have been systematically oppressed throughout history in the theater and beyond.