The 24 Hour Plays will present The 24 Hour Musicals on Broadway for the first time October 29 at the American Airlines Theatre. The 8 PM performance, presented in partnership with The Lillys, will pay homage to the women who are changing the landscape of American theatre.
The evening will feature four brand-new musicals written and performed in the span of 24 hours. The initial list of talent includes composers Aimee Mann and Kirsten Childs, writers Ashley Nicole Black and Jonathan Marc Sherman, and performers John Mulaney, Lea DeLaria, Kate Rockwell, and Jordan Roth.
“Our annual Broadway event has been a Manhattan institution for eighteen years, while The 24 Hour Musicals has been wowing audiences Off-Broadway, in London, and in Los Angeles for the last ten years. For the first time, we’re combining these signature events into one incredible Broadway evening to support our partners at The Lillys,” said Mark Armstrong, executive director of The 24 Hour Plays. “In addition to recognizing the work of women theatermakers and their advocates for ten years, The Lillys have developed an entire economic infrastructure to support their work. We’re excited to put our annual event’s fundraising ability toward the growth of these game-changing initiatives.”
“The Lillys have become so much more than Awards for women in theater,” added The Lillys Executive Director Julia Jordan. "Our commissions, apprenticeships, the Lorraine Hansberry statue coming to Manhattan, our new critical review coming soon and the National Count are changing the face of the American arts landscape. We are so grateful to the 24 Hour Plays for recognizing and supporting our work to bringing gender and racial parity to the American Theater. We are two like-minded organizations working together and getting results.”
Highlights of The Lillys outstanding accomplishments and mission will be presented by a variety of individuals throughout the evening:
- Lynn Nottage will represent the Lorraine Hansberry Statue, sculpted by Alison Saar.
- Lisa Kron will represent The National Count, the largest and only ongoing survey of who and what is being produced on our nation’s stage.
- The Childcare Initiative will be represented by SPACE at Ryder Farm, Emily Simoness. The Lillys founded the Family Residency at and with SPACE and have gone on to found a childcare fund at New Dramatists.
- The Review, which will be represented by Todd London and Sarah Ruhl, is an online magazine of timely reviews by notable artists and cultural figures.
- The Musical Theatre Award, created by Stacey Mindich and presented by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, gives $25,000 to a female composer, accompanied by a residency at The New York Songspace donated by Kara Unterberg.
Proceeds benefit The Lillys’ work supporting women in theatre and promoting gender parity, as well as The 24 Hour Plays’ programs, including The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals (a professional intensive for young artists).
Tickets for The 24 Hour Musicals on Broadway are available at 24hourplays.com or by calling (212) 868-4444. Premium tickets are available that include a cast and VIP afterparty, as well as event sponsorship opportunities at 24hourplays.com/sponsorship.
