Industry NewsAmber Gray, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Phillipa Soo, More Join Ars Nova Forever Telethon LineupThe 24-hour live stream will also include cast reunions for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and KPOP.
By
Dan Meyer
May 29, 2020
Over a dozen celebrities have been added to the June 12–13 Ars Nova Forever Telethon, including Tony-nominated Ars Nova alums Amber Gray, Phillipa Soo, Joe Iconis, Alex Timbers, Denée Benton, and Leigh Silverman.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Billy Eichner, Betty Gilpin, and Andrew R. Butler are just a few more of the many names added to the 24-hour live stream.
The artists join a previously announced slate of performers including Hadestown Tony-winning director Rachel Chavkin, the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme, and Tony nominees Ashley Park and Lilli Cooper. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Off-Broadway theatre, which is struggling to sustain itself in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the Off-Broadway theatre announced its slate of programming, divided into 12 two-hour blocks, including separate cast reunions of the popular Ars Nova productions of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and the Broadway-aimed KPOP.
Kicking off the event June 12 at 6 PM ET will be An Ars Nova Mixtape, hosted by Park and Soo, with musical performances from Ars Nova alumni like Iconis, Butler, and Grace McClean.
Audiences will also get to see the world premiere of Isaac Oliver’s Lonely Quarantine, starring Katja Blichfeld, Naomi Ekperigin, Betty Gilpin, Ryan O’Connell, and Ben Sinclair.
Additional two-hour blocks of programming include:
A Saturday morning relaxation session inspired by Small Mouth Sounds, hosted by Sakina Jaffrey
Thon-Tha-Thon-Thon-Thon hosted by Freestyle Love Supreme
“Boom Crunch” Zoom Brunch: A Celebration of Theatrical Choices with hosts Larry Owens and Natalie Walker
A special edition of Ars Nova’s variety special Showgasm
Throughout the live stream, theatre favorites will drop by for special appearances. At the end, Lilli Cooper will host The Finale for the Future!, a showcase of current Ars Nova resident and commissioned artists.
Click here to check out the full schedule and current artist lineup; a complete listing will be unveiled June 9.
The Ars Nova Forever Telethon creative team includes Stivo Arnoczy, Teddy Bergman, Hunter Bird, Sammi Cannold, Tim Chaffee, Lee Sunday Evans, Chloe Joy Ivanson, Mike Karns, Seonjae Kim, Jenny Koons, Shira Milikowsky, Andrew Neisler, Kimie Nishikawa, Lee Overtree, Kristen Robinson, Caitlin Sullivan, and Marián Gómez Villota.