Seventh-Annual "New York City Christmas" Concert to Benefit ASTEP

ASTEP/Artists Striving To End Poverty 

Presents

The Seventh Annual 

"NEW YORK CITY CHRISTMAS"

A Concert to Benefit ASTEP

Featuring

Lea Salonga

Sierra Boggess

Lindsay Mendez

Derek Klena

Katie Rose Clarke

Alysha Umphress

Sally Wilfert

Kenita Miller

Kay Trinidad

Aurelia Williams 

Maurice Murphy

Zak Resnick

Lauren Pritchard

and many more!

NEW YORK, NY — Artists Striving to End Poverty announces its starry Seventh Annual New York City Christmas: A Concert to Benefit ASTEP, taking place on Monday, December 14 at 7 PM at Joe’s Pub at The Public in New York City with a special silent auction, including items from HAMILTON, FINDING NEVERLAND, and LION KING to list a few.

Back by popular demand, the evening will feature Broadway's most sought-after talent singing new and classic holiday songs. Expect fresh, original approaches — pop, soul, R&B, rock and more — to your favorite seasonal numbers, many of them captured on the Sh-KBoom/Ghostlight album "New York City Christmas," available for purchase at the concert. 

Conceived and produced by Drama Desk-nominated orchestrator Lynne Shankel (Allegiance, Cry-Baby, Altar Boyz), the concert will again boast an incredible line-up of artists, including Lea Salonga (Allegiance, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables), Sierra Boggess (School of Rock, Master Class, The Little Mermaid), Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Godspell, Everyday Rapture), Derek Klena (The Bridges of Madison County, Wicked, Carrie), Katie Rose Clarke (Allegiance, The Light in the Piazza, Wicked), Alysha Umphress (On the Town, American Idiot), Sally Wilfert (Make Me A Song, Assassins, Tom Sawyer), Kenita Miller (Merrily We Roll Along, Ragtime), Kay Trinidad (The Little Mermaid, Bare), Aurelia Williams (Sistas, The Musical, Papermill's Once On This Island), Maurice Murphy (Motown The Musical, Leap of Faith), Zak Resnick (Mamma Mia!), Lauren Pritchard (Spring Awakening) and many more. The concert will be directed by Stafford Arima (Allegiance, Bare: The Musical, Carrie).

Also appearing will be musicians Shankel (on piano), Joe Mowatt (drums/percussion), Randy Landau (bass), Peter Calo and Jim Hershman (guitars).

Tickets are $100 each for premium seats, $75 each for general seating. ALL proceeds from tickets to the show and album sales go to supporting ASTEP's mission to connect performing and visual artists with underserved kids, awakening their imaginations, fostering critical thinking, and helping them break the cycle of poverty. ASTEP places volunteer artists in India, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, New York and Florida and supports the efforts of ASTEP Chapters in more than a dozen communities around the U.S.

A special silent auction will also be held during the concert, featuring sought-after items such as:

• 2 VIP Tickets to HAMILTON with Exclusive Backstage Tour and Meet and Greet with Jonathan Groff
• 2 VIP Tickets to FINDING NEVERLAND with Exclusive Backstage Tour
• 2 VIP Tickets to LION KING with Exclusive Backstage Tour
• 2 VIP Tickets to Cirque du Soleil PARAMOUR ON BROADWAY with Exclusive Backstage Tour
• Have Raul Esparza Record Your Outgoing Voicemail Greeting
• Have Kristin Chenoweth Record Your Outgoing Voicemail Greeting

Tickets are available for purchase online through the Joe’s Pub website or at the box office at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street. Seating is limited. 

For more information about ASTEP visit www.astep.org or e-mail Davinia Troughton at  davinia@asteponline.org.

# # # #

New York City Christmas: A Benefit Album for ASTEP, on the Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight label, is a special labor of love created by the incomparable music director, orchestrator and arranger Lynne Shankel (Allegiance, Bare, Altar Boyz, Cry-Baby, Summer of '42, Paper Mill's Once On This Island). Over the years, in several venues in Manhattan, Lynne brought together some of the best musicians and singers in the Broadway community, including Tony Nominee Raul Esparza (Company, Speed the Plow), Tony nominee Orfeh (Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever), Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, Master Class, The Little Mermaid), Chester Gregory (Sister Act, Dreamgirls, Cry-Baby), Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Godspell, Everyday Rapture), Andy Karl (Wicked, Altar Boyz, 9 to 5), Sally Wilfert (Make Me A Song, Assassins, Tom Sawyer), recording artist Anya Singleton, David Josefsberg (The Wedding Singer, Altar Boyz), Tony nominee and “American Idol” star Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages), Drama Desk nominee Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Mamma Mia) and many more!

The album is available for purchase through iTunes, Amazon.com, and sh-k-boom.com.

ABOUT ASTEP

ASTEP was conceived by Broadway musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Juilliard students to transform the lives of youth using the most powerful tool they had — their art. Today, ASTEP connects performing and visual artists with underserved youth in the U.S. and around the world to awaken their imaginations, foster critical thinking, and help them break the cycle of poverty.

Since 2003, ASTEP’s programs have engaged children ages 4-21 years old through collaborations with schools and community organizations. Our partner organizations help us tailor our programming to address specific needs and risks youth face in their communities, including HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, and abuse. In addition, our programs are research-based, employing accredited learning standards to train artists and create arts curricula. Youth attending ASTEP programs are not only inspired and supported emotionally and creatively, but also develop specific, important skills they use to make healthy and productive decisions.

For information on how to get involved or to donate, please visit www.astep.org.

ASTEP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOUNDER: Mary-Mitchell Campbell INTERIM CHAIR: Erich Jungwirth VICE CHAIR: Jaimie Mayer Phinney INTERIM SECRETARY: Sheryl Calabro  TREASURER: Charles Court, John Bray, Mark Canavera, Trupti Doshi, Tom Fitzgerald, Sameer Garg, Suzanne Longley, Caroline Papadatos, Sheri Sarkisian, David Turner, Laurie Tvedt

HONORARY BOARD: Broadway Actor, Director/Producer Richard Jay Alexander (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Song and Dance), Tony/Drama Desk/Outer Critics Circle Award winner Laura Benanti (NBC's Go On, Gypsy), Broadway.com Audience Award winner Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera, The Little Mermaid), Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth (ABC's Pushing Daisies; Wicked), Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel (Book of Mormon, Mary Poppins), Tony Award winner John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company, Road Show), Tony Award nominee Raul Esparza (Company, Law and Order SVU), Grammy Award-winning Singer-Songwriter and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper (Kinky Boots), Tony Award winner orchestrator/musical director Stephen Oremus (Kinky Boots, Book of Mormon, Wicked).