I’m Still Here, a star-studded evening celebrating the 90th anniversary of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ Billy Rose Theatre Division and the 50th anniversary of its Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, will stream on Broadway on Demand June 23 at 8 PM ET.
Honoring Tony-winning directors George C. Wolfe and the late Harold Prince, the evening will feature archival content of several Broadway productions preserved in the archive, including Savion Glover, Jimmy Tate, Choclattjared, and Raymond King in Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk; Meryl Streep, Marcia Gay Harden, and Larry Pine in The Seagull; Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robin de Jesús, Christopher Jackson, Karen Olivo, Andréa Burns, Janet Dacal, Eliseo Román, and Seth Stewart in In the Heights; and Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard.
Also taking part: Annaleigh Ashford (Sunday in the Park with George), Alexander Bello (Caroline, or Change), Laura Benanti (She Loves Me), Malik Bilbrew, Alexandra Billings (Wicked), Susan Birkenhead (Jelly’s Last Jam), Shay Bland, Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show), Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Matthew Broderick (Plaza Suite), Krystal Joy Brown (Hamilton), David Burtka (Gypsy), Sammi Cannold (Endlings), Ayodele Casel (Chasing Magic), Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza), Max Clayton (Moulin Rouge!), Calvin L. Cooper (Mrs. Doubtfire), DeMarius Copes (Mean Girls), Trip Cullman (Choir Boy), Taeler Elyse Cyrus (Hello, Dolly!), Quentin Earl Darrington (Once on This Island), Robin de Jesús (In the Heights), André De Shields (Hadestown), Frank DiLella (NY1), Derek Ege, Amina Faye, Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles), Leslie Donna Flesner (Tootsie), Chelsea P. Freeman, Joel Grey (Cabaret), Ryan J. Haddad (The Politician), Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof), James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud), Marcy Harriell (Company), Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Mark Harris (Mike Nichols: A Life), David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), Cassondra James (Once on This Island), Marcus Paul James (Rent), Taylor Iman Jones (Hamilton), Maya Kazzaz, Tom Kirdahy (The Inheritance), Hilary Knight, Michael John LaChiusa (The Wild Party), Norman Lear (Good Times), Baayork Lee (A Chorus Line), Sondra Lee (Hello, Dolly!), Telly Leung (Aladdin), Ashley Loren (Moulin Rouge!), Allen René Louis, Brittney Mack (Six), Taylor Mac (Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus), Morgan Marcell, Aaron Marcellus, Joan Marcus, Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), Sarah Meahl, Joanna Merlin (Fiddler on the Roof), Ruthie Ann Miles (Sunday in the Park with George), Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels), Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Leilani Patao (Garden Girl), Nova Payton (Dreamgirls), Joel Perez (Kiss My Aztec), Bernadette Peters (Into the Woods), Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam), Jacoby Pruitt, Sam Quinn, Phylicia Rashad (A Raisin in the Sun), Jelani Remy (Ain’t Too Proud), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Beetlejuice), George Salazar (Be More Chill), Marilyn Saunders (Company), Marcus Scott (Fidelio), Rashidra Scott (Company), Rona Siddiqui (Tales of a Halfghan), Ahmad Simmons, Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), Bobby Conte Thornton (Company), Sergio Trujillo (On Your Feet), Kei Tsuruharatani (Jagged Little Pill), Ben Vereen (Pippin), Jack Viertel, Christopher Vo, Paula Vogel (Indecent), Nik Walker (Ain’t Too Proud), Shannon Fiona Weir, Helen Marla White (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Natasha Yvette Williams (Orange Is the New Black), and Ricardo Zayas (Hamilton).
The program will also feature interviews with Broadway artists discussing the re-conception of classic musical theatre songs, including “A Trip to the Library,” “Wheels of a Dream,” “Another Hundred People,” “Love Will Find a Way,” and, fittingly, “I’m Still Here.”
“From the Great Depression of the 1930s to the COVID crisis, the Billy Rose Theatre Division perseveres and preserves the greatest treasures of theatrical history," said Doug Reside, curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division. "As I look back on the last 90 years of our history, I'm struck by how our division has managed to document almost every aspect of the creative process and the people who bring theatre to life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our first 90 years in such spectacular fashion, and to the theatre community for its support. As we plan for the next 90 years and beyond, my hope is that the collection continues to grow and flourish and reflect the diversity of voices that have shaped the theatre as we know it and are shaping its future.”“The Billy Rose Theatre Division has served as the collective memory for our community by capturing the ephemeral nature of our unique art form. Until we can all experience the joy of live theatre again, we are thrilled to look back into the archives to highlight theatrical masterpieces from their vast collection,” added producers Julie Boardman and Nolan Doran. “Our hope is to raise funds to ensure the archives remain accessible to future theatre makers for generations to come.”
The virtual benefit is produced and conceived by Boardman and Doran and features direction by Steve Broadnax, Sammi Cannold, Nick Corley, Ty Defoe, Lorin Latarro, Mia Walker, and Jason Michael Webb, choreography by Ayodele Casel, Latarro, and Ray Mercer, with new music arranged by Rachel Dean and Annastasia Victory, arrangements and orchestrations by Brian Usifer, and casting by Peter Van Dam at Tara Rubin Casting.
Tickets are donate-what-you-can, with a recommendation of at least $19.31 in honor of the year the division was founded. Visit StillHereat90.com