On Monday, December 14th, Ann Harada will once again spread holiday spirit as the hysterical, sincere yet highly inappropriate therapist from Avenue Q as CHRISTMAS EVE’S HOLIDAY HUNKFEST (#hunkfest) welcomes a bevy of Broadway men. The one-night-only concert is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Christmas Eve, played by Harada, will be joined by some of Broadway’s hunkiest men to reinterpret everything you know about Broadway romance in Christmas Eve’s shamelessly unapologetic exploration of the modern songbook. Expect singing, dancing and laughter without a single drop of political correctness.
The 7 pm show will be held at The Cutting Room, 44 East 32nd Street in New York City. Tickets, which range from $30-$75, are on sale now at broadwaycares.org.
The list of Broadway’s talented hunks set to join Harada includes John Bolton (Dames at Sea), Joe Carroll (Cinderella), Jordan Gelber (Avenue Q), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Telly Leung (Allegiance), Jose Llana (The King and I), Joel Perez (Fun Home), Tony Award winner Michael Rupert (On the Town), Robert Sella (Sylvia), Ryan Silverman (Side Show) and Howie Michael Smith (Avenue Q), with more to be announced. Dan Horn and Kevin Munhall, both from ALLEGIANCE, will serve as Christmas Eve’s dancers. (Special guests subject to change.)
CHRISTMAS EVE’S HOLIDAY HUNKFEST is directed by Alan Muraoka with choreography by Darren Lee and music direction by Gary Adler. The show was conceived and written by Adler, Harada and Muraoka.
Darren Lee, Ann Harada and Alan Muraoka after the opening performance of The Report at The Lynn Redgrave Theater at Culture Project in New York on August 15, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang
Ann Harada. Photo by Lia Chang
Harada originated the role of Christmas Eve in both the Broadway and London productions of the Tony Award-winning Avenue Q. Most recently, she appeared in the Off-Broadway superhero show Brooklynite. Harada also was previously featured on Broadway in Cinderella, 9 to 5, LES MISERABLES, Seussical The Musical and M. Butterfly, in the Off-Broadway hit Love, Loss and What I Wore and in George Street Playhouse’s production of God of Carnage. She also was featured in The Actors Fund productions of Chess and Hair. Her solo concert was featured in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in 2014. Her recent TV work includes Redheads Anonymous, Linda the stage manager on Smash, Admission, It Could Be Worst, 30 Rock, The Big C, Lipstick Jungle, Rescue Me and The Electric Company.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $285 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states.
For more information, visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, at facebook.com/BCEFA, at twitter.com/BCEFA, at youtube.com/BCEFA and at instagram.com/BCEFA.
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an award-winning filmmaker, a Best Actress nominee, a photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek, which will screen at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival on November 21st. She is profiled in FebOne1960.com Blog, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
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BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA Cast Reunion featured in BLACK BELT MAGAZINE August/September 2015
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Crafting a Career
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