Leslie Uggams
FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSICAL THEATER
(Hallelujah, Baby!, 1968 Tony Award for Best Actress; Anything Goes; Jerry’s Girls; Stormy Weather; Thoroughly Modern Millie; and Gypsy)
THE YORK FOUNDERS' AWARD
for individuals who have made a significant impact on the sustainability of the arts
TED CHAPIN
(President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization for forty years)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022
The Edison Rooftop, NYC
223 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
6:00 PM - COCKTAILS
7:00 PM - DINNER
8:00 PM - PERFORMANCE & AWARD PRESENTATION
Directed by
Michael Unger
Music direction by
Christie Chiles Twillie
Hosted by
Gerry McIntyre
scheduled to appear in concert
Broadway Inspirational Voices • Shoshana Bean • Klea Blackhurst • Lilli Cooper • Gregg Edelman • Jared Grimes • Michael James Leslie • Gerry McIntyre • Christine Pedi • Ron Raines • Leslie Uggams • Stephanie Umoh • Jeffrey Wright
Award presented by
Dionne Warwick
Video Appearances by
LaChanze • Lee Roy Reams • André De Shields
CAN'T ATTEND?
A special thanks to our Gala producers...
Catherine Adler • Margot Astrachan • Ted Chapin • Timothy Collins • Ray DeMattis • Jamie deRoy • Mercedes Ellington • Deborah Friedman & Bob Breuer • Marta Heflin Foundation • Willette and Manny Klausner, WMK Productions • Riki Kane Larimer • W. David McCoy • Y.H. Mirzoeff & Sons Foundation, Inc. • Joan T. Mischo • Francine Pascal • Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante • Dr. Maria Sokolina • Joan Ross Sorkin • The Michael Stewart Foundation • Vera & Jeffrey Wurst • Claudia Zahn
THE OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN AWARD
This award is named in honor of the legendary lyricist and librettist who helped shape American musical theater through his collaborations with a number of different composers and writers. His contributions to such landmark musicals as Show Boat, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and Carousel are a legacy for all time.
The award was created in 1988 by Janet Hayes Walker, Founding Artistic Director of The York Theatre Company, and is presented with the endorsement of the Hammerstein family and The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. Its purpose is to recognize outstanding achievement in musical theater.
The Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala is the major annual fundraising event of The York, a mainstay of the New York theater for over 50 years. Past recipients include Stephen Sondheim, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Harold Prince, Cy Coleman, Charles Strouse, Arthur Laurents, Jerry Herman, Stephen Schwartz, Peter Stone, David Merrick, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Terrence McNally, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Carol Channing, Tony Walton, Joseph Stein, George S. Irving, Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick, Thomas Meehan, Barbara Cook, Paul Gemignani, Alan Menken, Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Angela Lansbury, Joel Grey, Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt, Susan Stroman, André De Shields, and most recently, Richard Maltby, Jr. & David Shire.
covid-19 protocols
For everyone’s protection and peace of mind, The York Theatre Company requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with an FDA or WHO-authorized vaccine for our audiences 5 years of age and above—as well as artists and staff. Please bring a form of ID and vaccination card or proof of negative test to this event. Acceptable proof of vaccination includes a CDC issued vaccination card, the New York State Excelsior Pass, the Clear Health Pass, and the NYC COVID Safe App.
For anyone unvaccinated due to a disability or religious belief or under the age of five, The York will require proof of a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of November 14. A printed or emailed result is accepted. If you have a medical or religious exemption from vaccination, please be sure to contact ngerrity@yorktheatre.org in advance of the event.
By purchasing a ticket to a York Theatre Company event, the patron agrees to abide by all COVID-19 safety protocols as determined by The York Theatre Company at the time of the event. This could include but is not limited to mask wearing, temperature checks, proof of vaccination, social distancing, and use of credit cards to purchase concessions and merchandise. The patron agrees to adjust any behavior as instructed by members of The York Theatre Company staff, should a staff member determine such behavior to be unsafe and request such an adjustment. Safety protocols may be updated at any time based on current CDC protocols.
By entering a York Theatre Company event, the patron assumes all risks associated with entering a place of public gathering and voluntarily waives any and all claims and potential claims against The York Theatre Company elating to COVID-19 or any other communicable disease or illness, or that arise from or relate in any way to, however caused, the risk of exposure or actual or alleged exposure to a bacteria, virus or other pathogen capable of causing COVID-19 or any other communicable disease or illness, in each case whether the actual or alleged circumstances giving rise to any claim or potential claim occur before, during, or after the event.
Previous Awards & Galas
2021 - Richard Maltby, Jr. & David Shire
The 29th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Achievement in Musical Theatre was presented on Monday, November 1, 2021 to musical theatre composing team Richard Maltby, Jr. & David Shire. They have been writing together since they met at Yale (class of ’59), where their first two musicals, Cyrano and Grand Tour, were produced. In the years since, they have written the scores for more than a dozen more musicals, including Broadway’s Baby (1983) and Big (1995), both of which netted them Tony Award nominations for Best Score.The event included special guest appearances by Loni Ackerman, George Lee Andrews, Jenny Lyn Bader, Jordan Barrow, Sierra Boggess, Kerry Butler, Liz Callaway, Margery Cohen, Frenchie Davis, Josh Dela Cruz, Santino Fontana, Montego Glover, Sydney James Harcourt, Daniel Jenkins, Eddie Korbich, Norm Lewis, Charlotte Maltby, Janet Metz, Julia Murney, Christiane Noll, and York Musical Theatre Training Program Alum.
2019 - André De Shields
The 28th Oscar Hammerstein Award was presented on Monday, November 11, 2019 to Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor, André De Shields. De Shields is probably most known for his stellar performances in Hadestown, Ain't Misbehavin', The Wiz, and The Full Monty. The event was hosted by Charlayne Woodard and included special guest appearances by John Ellison Conlee, Robert Creighton, Darius De Haas, Jeffry Denman, Dawn Driver, Mercedes Ellington, Kylie Kuioka, Teresa Eyring, Ron Lucas, Richard Maltby, Jr., Larry Owens, Tony Perry, Malvinna Rose, Melissa Schott, Marc Shaiman, Edward Tolve, Ekele Ukegbu, Ben Vereen, Anita Welch, Freida Williams, Patrick Wilson, David Yazbek, The Alumni Ensemble of The Boys and Girls Choir of Harlem, Students from Marymount College, and York Musical Theater Training Program Alum.
2018 - susan stroman
The 27th Oscar Hammerstein Award was presented on Monday, November 12, 2018 to award-winning Broadway director and choreographer, Susan Stroman. In addition to Richard Maltby, Jr., David Shire, and Matthew Broderick, the line-up of artists included Lynn Ahrens, Sierra Boggess, Nick Cordero, Stephen Flaherty, John Kander, William Ivey Long, Terrence Mann, Debra Monk, Brad Oscar, Laura Osnes, Bryonha Marie Parham, Tiler Peck, David Thompson, Kaley Ann Voorhees, John Weidman, Tony Yazbeck, and Karen Ziemba, among a cast of 60 performers recreating some of Ms. Stroman's most memorable numbers from shows such as Crazy for You, Oklahoma!, Contact, And the World Goes ‘Round, Show Boat, Bullets Over Broadway, Steel Pier, The Scottsboro Boys, The Producers, and more.
2017 - tom jones & harvey schmidt
The 26th Oscar Hammerstein Award was presented on Monday, December 4, 2017 to Broadway legends Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt. The event also featured Gretchen Cryer & Nancy Ford, Robert Cuccioli, John Davidson, Rita Gardner, Adam Kantor, Judy Kaye, Norm Lewis, Samantha Massell, Michele McConnell, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Randy Rainbow, Ben Rimalower, Frances Ruffelle, Christopher Sieber, Lesley Ann Warren, Susan Watson, Well-Strung, Betsy Wolfe, and Freddie Gershon.
2016 - Joel Grey
The 25th Oscar Hammerstein Award was presented on Monday, December 5, 2016 to Broadway legend Joel Grey. The event also featured Carolee Carmello, Robert Creighton, Christine Ebersole, Sutton Foster, Bebe Neuwirth, Rory O'Malley, and Bernadette Peters.
2015 - angela lansbury
The York Theatre Company hosted the 24th Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala on Monday, November 16th, 2015 in honor of Angela Lansbury.