HUNTER BELL



SUSAN BLACKWELL



JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ

 
 

HEATH CALVERT
 
 

MATTHEW CAVENAUGH



RICK CROM



JEFFRY DENMAN



ED DIXON



EAMON FOLEY

 

HUNTER FOSTER






ANITA GILLETTE




ANN HARADA



TERRI KLAUSNER




GARRETT LONG



MEGAN REINKING



ASA SOMERS



JOHN TARTAGLIA

 

MARY TESTA



JIM WATKINS





HUNTER BELL     SUSAN BLACKWELL     JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ     HEATH CALVERT     MATTHEW CAVENAUGHRICK CROM     JEFFRY DENMAN     ED DIXON     EAMON FOLEY
HUNTER FOSTER     ANITA GILLETTE    ANN HARADA     TERRI KLAUSNER
    
GARRETT LONG     MEGAN REINKING     ASA SOMERS   MARY TESTA    
JOHN TARTAGLIA    
JIM WATKINS

and
THE CENTER STAGE PLAYERS FROM THE CENTER STAGE THEATRE COMPANY, WESTPORT, CT


An All-Star Concert To Benefit
Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC)
 
Produced by
DEREK TRAVIS COLLARD
& GARY A. MAFFEI
Directed by
IGOR GOLDIN
Musical Direction by
DAVID ANDREWS ROGERS
 
ONE NIGHT ONLY!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26 at

340 W 50th St
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

THE SILENT AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED!

On Monday, February 26, producer Derek Collard is pleased to present "MY FIRST TIME," an all-star Broadway concert to benefit Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC). Directed by Igor Goldin with musical direction by David Andrews Rogers, "MY FIRST TIME" will take place at New World Stages at 7 p.m.

Featuring performances by

Hunter Bell [title of show]
Susan Blackwell  [title of show]
Jeff Blumenkrantz (A Class Act, How to Succeed..., Damn Yankees)
Heath Calvert (Good Vibrations, The Children)
Matt Cavenaugh (Urban Cowboy, Grey Gardens)
Rick Crom (Urinetown, Footloose, The Goodbye Girl)
Jeffry Denman (The Producers, White Christmas)

Ed Dixon (Les Miserables, Under the Bridge)
Eamon Foley (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Assassins, Gypsy, The Audience)

Hunter Foster (Urinetown, Little Shop Of Horrors, The Producers)
Anita Gillette (Moonstruck, Carnival, Cabaret)
Ann Harada (Avenue Q)

Terri Klausner (Evita, Sophisticated Ladies)
Garrett Long (The Spitfire Grill, Seussical)
Megan Reinking - (Lestat, Dracula)
Asa Somers (
Grey Gardens, Taboo)
John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast)
Mary Testa (On The Town, 42nd Street, Regrets Only)
Jim Watkins, Anchor, CW11 News at 10
...
and a special performance by the Center Stage Players from the Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT

The concert features a variety of first-hand stories and songs from the performers' own "first" experiences, such as the first show they were in, their first professional stage success or the first show or star that inspired them to follow their hearts to Broadway.

Tickets are priced at $25, $45 and $65

Tickets for this one-night-only event can be reserved by calling QSAC directly at 212-244-5560 ext. 2035. or 718-7-AUTISM ext. 2035.

You may purchase your tickets online:
 
For further information on "MY FIRST TIME" and QSAC, please contact Derek Collard at derektravis@mac.com or visit www.QSAC.com.      * Performers Subject to Change
 
You can also make a donation:

Who's Who
   
Hunter Bell - Wrote the book and starred in the off-Broadway sensation [title of show] at the Vineyard Theatre. Also wrote the book for Silence! The Musical (Overall Excellence Award-Outstanding Musical 2005 Fringe NYC), Stuck by EPCOT (playwright/Manhattan Theatre Source), A-Train Plays (Neighborhood Playhouse), 2003 finalist Warner Brothers Comedy Writers Workshop. Developed new works at Dramatists Guild, Irish Rep, PS 122, Goodspeed/ Chester, CanStage, and MTC. Taming of the Shrew, Forum, Gypsy (St. Louis Rep), She Loves Me, The Most Happy Fella (Cincinnati Playhouse), Anything Goes (Great Lakes Theatre Festival), Godspell (MUNY), Little Me (North Shore),The Tempest (Dallas Shakespeare Festival), Side Show (Cleveland Playhouse), Romeo and Juliet, The Boys from Syracuse (Alliance Theatre), Jumbo, Oh, Boy! (York), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Coconut Grove), Rags (Paper Mill), Promises, Promises (Stages), Me and My Girl (Goodspeed Opera House, CT; Outer Critics Award-Best Actor in a Musical). TV: Out of the Box (Disney Channel), Guiding Light. BFA- Webster University.

Susan Blackwell -  [title of show], The Electra Monologues, Saying Anything, The Myth of Female Bonding and Shrinkage. Television credits include "The Sopranos", "Third Watch" and various "Law & Orders". Films include Bun Bun, Changing Lanes, and Jim Jarmusch’s Night Int. Trailer for the feature film Ten Minutes Older. She has performed off-Broadway in Working Title and Vilna's Got a Golem, and played Peter Patrone in The Heidi Chronicles. She was a member of the Guthrie Theatre Acting Company for two seasons.

Jeff Blumenkrantz - has been seen on Broadway in A Class Act, How To Succeed In Business… (opposite Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally), Damn Yankees, The Threepenny Opera and Into The Woods. As a composer he was Tony nominated for his contributed songs to the Broadway musical Urban Cowboy.


Heath Calvert - Broadway: Good Vibrations  Other NY:  Dust & Dreams: A Sandburg Celebration at the York Theatre, Swimming Upstream and Byzantium at the NY Fringe Festival, The Children and  Wild Women of Planet Wongo at the NY Musical Theatre Festival.  Regional:  The Human Comedy (Marcus/Matthew), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), Parade (Dorsey), Secret Garden (Neville), I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change (Jordan) & Little Shop of Horrors

Matthew Cavenaugh -
A Broadway, television and movie actor/singer. Matt can now be seen in the musical Grey Gardens and will soon be seen on CBS' As the World Turns. Matt previously starred as a character on ABC's One Life To Live and toured with Thoroughly Modern Millie. He premiered on Broadway in Urban Cowboy.

Rick Crom - Broadway: Urinetown,The Goodbye Girl and Footloose. Off-Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, Das Barbecü, Encores! Fiorello and Li’l Abner and Carnegie Hall’s Louisiana Purchase. NYMSF's White Noise. He is formerly of the Chicago City Limits comedy group. As a standup comic, he has appeared on “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” “MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” and Showtime and Comedy Central. He performs regularly at the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan.


Jeffry Denman has appeared in such Broadway classics as The Producers (Original Cast), Cats (final Broadway cast), How To Succeed in Business … and Dream. He has extensive Regional credits as well and is an accomplished author. His book A Year with The Producers has been a best seller.

Ed Dixon was most recently featured on Broadway in The Iceman Cometh, The Best Man and The Persians. Other Broadway appearances include No, No Nanette, Rosalie, Knickerbocker Holiday, King of Schnorrers, The Three Musketeers, Les Miserables, Cyrano, The Scarlet Pimpernel and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Eamon Foley -
has been seen on Broadway in such hit shows as How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Assassins and Gypsy as well as off-Broadway in the Transport Group’s production of The Audience.

Hunter Foster originated the role of Bobby Strong in the Broadway and Off-Broadway companies of Urinetown (Outer Critic and Lucille Lortel Award Nominations). Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors, Grease (Roger), Footloose, Les Miserables and Alan Menken's King David. Toured nationally as the Rum Tum Tugger in Cats and understudied and performed the role of Martin Guerre in the Cameron Makintosh production of Martin Guerre. He also appeared in the New York premiere of Childen of Eden (Abel) by Stephen Schwartz at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He can currently be seen in The Producers on Broadway opposite Tony Danza.

Anita Gillette is a Tony nominated American actress, most notable for her work on Broadway and as a celebrity guest on various game shows. Most recently, she has made several appearances as "Grandma Betty" on Fox's The War at Home. In 2004, she charmed audiences in Shall We Dance?, opposite Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. She portrayed Miss Mitzi, the lonely drunk, yet sweet, dance instructor at her struggling studio. Anita just finished filming Hiding Victoria, she stars in the film as Althea Jaffery.


Ann Harada created the role of Christmas Eve in both the Broadway and London West End Production of  Avenue Q: Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Ensemble and Artistry in Puppetry, Broadway.com Audience Favorite Award for Featured Actress in a Musical. Broadway: Suessical, M. Butterfly. Member of Vineyard Theatre's Community of Artists. Other NYC: Falsettoland (NAATCO); The Moment When (Playwrights Horizons); 1,2,3,4,5 (MTC Stage 2); Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. Concerts: Chess, Children of Eden, Snoopy, Hair. Film: Happiness, Hudson River Blues, Transamerica. For my folks and PJL. Favorite production: Elvis, born Nov. 2004.

Terri Klausner has been seen by audiences across America in such dazzling productions as A Chorus Line, Sophisticated Ladies, and Evita. While appearing in A Chorus Line, she was chosen to play Eva Peron in Evita and did so in the musical’s premiere performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles. She continued in that role in all the matinees for the Broadway Company. She co-starred in both the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Sophisticated Ladies. Ms. Klausner has entertained in London, Rio, Las Vegas and on American Television. She has sung at the White House, Carnegie Hall and as a headliner in New York’s top nightclubs.

Garrett Long - appeared in the original cast of The Spitfire Grill and appears on the cast recording opposite Liz Callaway. She has also appeared in the National Tour of Seussical and Shenandoah at the Ford Theatre in Washington DC.

Megan Reinking -  Broadway: Lestat, Dracula.  Other: Lestat (Curran Theatre), Footloose (Ariel Moore; Marriott Lincolnshire, Sacramento Music Circus, Music Theatre of Wichita), The Three Musketeers (Constance; Chicago Shakespeare Festival), Bye Bye Birdie (Encores!), Cinderella (NSMT), The Children (NYMF), And/Or (HOT! Festival). BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Michigan. Proud member of AEA.

Asa Somers - Broadway: Grey Gardens, Taboo, Dance of the Vampires, The Rocky Horror Show.
Off-Broadway: Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Once Around the Sun. TV: "Whoopi," "The Sopranos," "Guiding Light," "SNL." www.asasomers.com

Mary Testa 
has appeared in the off-broadway hits See What I Wanna See at the Public Theatre and Regrets Only at MTC. She was introduced to the New York theatre scene through her balls-to-the-wall performance as Miss Goldberg (Marvin's teacher who always wore dark glasses) in William Finn's In Trousers (singing the hell out of "Set Those Sails"), she was really discovered by the world at large when she understudied Liza Minnelli in The Rink (where she went on in what was supposed to be Minnelli's final performance, after Minnelli had already been checked into the Betty Ford clinic).  She has received Tony Award nominations for her performances in revivals of On the Town and 42nd Street and is also an Obie Award recipient for her work in From Above  at Playwrights Horizons.  Recently, Mary took on the role of Matron "Mama" Morton in the Broadway revival production of Chicago. 

John Tartaglia is best known for making his Broadway debut originating the roles of Princeton, a green (well, actually orange) college graduate, and Rod, a "closeted homo-whatever," in the Broadway musical Avenue Q. He received a 2004 Tony Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2004. John has been in many Broadway benefits in including the 14th annual Broadway Bares and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In early 2006, he preformed in the Off-Broadway musical "Newsical 2006: The Next Edition" and a Hair benefit concert. He was a presenter at last years Tony awards as well. John has a one man show he preformed in bars entitled "John Tartaglia AD-LIBerty." He can currently be seen during the day on the Disney Channel in his original series Johnny and the Sprites and at night on the Broadway stage in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
 
Jim Watkins co-anchors the Emmy Award winning CW11 News at 10. Each weeknight, Watkins teams with co-anchor Kaity Tong, weatherman Irv "Mr. G" Gikofsky, and sportscaster Sal Marchiano. Jim, who joined WPIX in 1998, brought over a decade of experience as an anchor, reporter, writer, and producer to his role at The CW11 News at Ten.

CENTER STAGE PLAYERS from the Center Stage Theatre Company, Westport, CT.  Center Stage is a special place for every child, where they take theatre to a whole new dimension. Their goal is for children to awaken their dreams through the utilization of theatre principles in a safe, nurturing environment. To accomplish this, they have assembled the finest Broadway actors, award-winning directors, and industry professionals.  The students work with the best, so that they can be the best. At Center Stage Theatre Company, they offer theatre for life.

THE SILENT AUCTION IS NOW ACCEPTING BIDS!
ITEM CURRENT BID
BEN STROTHMANN  PHOTO SHOOT (Headshots)
 
CLOSED

TWO TICKETS THE DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS LUNCHEON 
ACCESS TO THE VIP PRESS ROOM COCKTAIL PARTY
ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP
CELEBRITY GIFT BAG
CLOSED

Details to be announced...

CLOSED


MY FIRST TIME POSTER AUTOGRAPHED BY CAST
CLOSED

JERSEY BOYS POSTER AUTOGRAPHED BY CAST
and CAST RECORDING
CLOSED


PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AUTOGRAPHED POSTER
CLOSED
CD BASKET (25 CDs)

INCLUDES:
Drowsy Chaperone
Avenue Q
Jersey Boys
Best of Broadway
6 CD Set Anthology: MGM Musicals
The Light in the Piazza

The Last 5 Years
Spelling Bee
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Hair
Little Women
Altar Boyz
and more!

CLOSED
ONCE AROUND THE SUN OPENING NIGHT SOUVENIER AUTOGRAPHED BY ASA SOMERS
CLOSED

THEATRE TICKET BASKET 1

INCLUDES (2 TICKETS PER SHOW):
CHICAGO
JOURNEY'S END
EURYDICE
A CHORUS LINE
CLOSED


THEATRE TICKET BASKET 2

INCLUDES (2 TICKETS PER SHOW):
GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL
GREY GARDENS
THE COLOR PURPLE

 
CLOSED
THE CHILDREN POSTER SIGNED BY CAST INCLUDING HEATH CALVERT and MEGAN REINKING

UNDERSHIRT FROM THE CHILDREN SIGNED BY HEATH CALVERT
CLOSED
TWO (2) TICKETS TO SPRING AWAKENING STARRING JONATHAN GROFF

INCLUDES
:

•    BACKSTAGE MEET AND GREET WITH JONATHAN AND COMPANY AFTER THE SHOW
•    SPECIAL ITEMS AUTOGRAPHED  BY JONATHAN
•    POST-SHOW DRINKS WITH JONATHAN
CLOSED
JOHNNY MATHIS AUTOGRAPHED SHEET MUSIC and PHOTOGRAPH
 
CLOSED
FOUR (4) CAST AUTOGRAPHED PLAYBILLS:

INCLUDES:
RING OF FIRE
LESTAT
IN MY LIFE
LENNON
CLOSED
 
CALL 212.244.5562 or 718.7-AUTISM ext 2059 TO PLACE A BID!