Schools That Can Present – “The Lena Horne Tribute All‑Star Show”
January 11, 2016, 7:30pm
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre
at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Manhattan
The Lena Horne Tribute Show will recognize and honor the astonishing career and accomplishments – both on and off stage – of the legendary Lena Horne, a voice for her time and all time.
At a time when all we seem to hear on the news is tragedy – whether Ferguson or Baltimore or the failure of our school systems and lack of hope for our urban youth, it is more important than ever for us to celebrate and share the stories of role models like Lena Horne. Lena Horne had a powerful voice, was a charismatic performer, and had an inspirational legacy.
Lena overcame adversity. She broke the color barrier in Hollywood and went on to have an iconic singing and performing career. Off the stage, she was dedicated to fighting for civil rights and human dignity. Lena walked in the front lines at the March on Washington.
Some of today’s finest performers will pay tribute to Lena by performing her tunes from the American Songbook. Broadway stars Audra McDonald, Barbara Cook, and Billy Porter will be joined by Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hamilton), Lindsay Mendez (Wicked), Rebecca Naomi Jones (American Idiot), Telly Leung (Glee, Godspell) and Justin Guarini (American Idol), as well as two school choirs from VOICE Charter School and the Newark Boys Chorus School. This unique evening represents three generations of artists inspired by Lena Horne.
All proceeds from the event will support Schools That Can in achieving their mission of uniting leaders to expand quality urban education and close the opportunity and skills gap. Schools That Can is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; as such, ticket purchases represent a tax-exempt charitable contribution.