Monday, July 11, 2016

Broadway Stars to Stand Up for Freedom on July 18

 
New York, NY – The New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York State affiliate of the ACLU, announced today a star-studded lineup of performers for its annual benefit concert. “Broadway Stands Up for Freedom” will boast performances by some of Broadway’s finest on Monday, July 18, at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts.

Ben Platt, Benj Pasek, Whitney Bashor, Alex Grubbs, and Grace McLean join the previously announced Erich Bergen, Jayne Houdyshell, Jennifer Simard, Christina Bianco, Todd Buonopane, Devin Trey Campbell, Crystal Monee Hall, Celisse Henderson, Kristolyn Lloyd, Ray Mercer, Zachary Prince, Liana Stampur and Clinton Curtis, Alexandria Suarez, Liesl Tommy and the Brooklyn Tech Lady Dragons Step Team. Susan Blackwell returns as host with directors Peter Flynn and Daniel Goldstein and musical director Lynn Shankel. Tony Award-nominee Liesl Tommy will be the keynote speaker, and Celia Keenan-Bolger and Andrew Keenan-Bolger will produce and present a video.

In addition to some of Broadway’s hottest rising talent, the evening will feature one of the teenage winners of the NYCLU’s Freedom of Expression contest, which invites New York City public school students to speak their minds on important civil liberties issues in their lives. This year, July 18th is also Nelson Mandela day.

The NYCLU will showcase its impact litigation and advocacy with performers reading personal testimonies from public defense reform and solitary confinement cases. The victories for human rights and dignity won in these cases create meaningful and effective change statewide and often set nationwide precedent, furthering the legacy of Nelson Mandela.

Proceeds from the show will benefit NYCLU’s mission of promoting and protecting the civil rights and liberties of all New Yorkers.

For more information about the show, visit www.nyclu.org/broadway.  

Source: Mercury

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