Joe Benincasa News

A 40th Anniversary reunion benefit concert of the 1979 hit Broadway production of They're Playing Our Song was held on Monday, February 11th at 7:30 pm at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th St.). The show starred the Broadway cast members Lucie Arnaz as 'Sonia Walsk' and Robert Klein as 'Vernon Gersch'. Check out photos from the evening below!

The Actors Fund, a national human services organization that has served all professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry since 1882, today announced that a kick-off reception for the 2019 Heart & Soul Gala was held recently Palm Beach, FL. The evening was graciously hosted by Sydell Miller at her incredible home, La Reverie. Hearing Mrs. Miller address those in attendance and sharing the history of the home was a special experience.

MPTF and The Actors Fund announced today a collaboration to create Entertainment Health Insurance Solutions (EHIS), which will provide health insurance counseling services to members of the entertainment and performing arts community.  While the two organizations have worked together in supporting industry members through social services programs, EHIS is the first direct collaboration between MPTF and The Actors Fund. Health insurance specialists will be located at two Actors Fund locations, at the SAG-AFTRA Building and at I.A.T.S.E. Local 80 in Burbank, and at two MPTF locations in Woodland Hills and MPTF offices in Burbank. EHIS offers comprehensive, unbiased, one-on-one health insurance counseling, enrollment, and referrals for industry members and their families.

ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, commemorated its 90th Anniversary with a celebration at City Winery last night - Monday, October 1st. 

The American Theatre Wing announced today that its annual Gala, which honored newly minted EGOT recipient Andrew Lloyd Webber last night at Cipriani 42nd Street, raised a record breaking total of $1,652,502 in support of the Wing's programs and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative Legacy Fund, breaking all previous records.

The Actors Fund and Playwrights Horizons announced today that New York City playwright Julia Jarcho is the 2018 recipient of "The Mark O'Donnell Prize", an annual prize presented to an emerging theater artist in recognition of her or his talent and promise.

The Actors Fund held a ribbon-cutting on May 18 to celebrate the opening of The Waldman Living Room, a new center in midtown Manhattan for entertainment and performing arts professionals aged 65 and older. The Waldman Living Room is designed to help combat social isolation and to provide services that will foster stability and resiliency, allowing this senior community to maintain independent living as they age.

Scott Rudin and The Actors Fund announced today that Bette Midler's final performance in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival, Hello, Dolly!, will benefit The Actors Fund.

The Theatre Hall of Fame recently welcomed its 2017 class of eight inductees including (in alphabetical order) Matthew Broderick, Oskar Eustis, Tina Howe, Arthur Kopit, Marin Mazzie, Daryl Roth and Ernie Schier.

In addition to producing great theatre works, Primary Stages produced one of this season's most exciting Galas. The 2017 event, celebrating Artistic Honorees Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Producer Honorees Janet B. Rosen & Marvin Rosen, and Corporate Honorees Jose Mendez and Katie Graziano, was a glamorous and talent-filled evening at Tribeca 360 with a full view of lower Manhattan as a backdrop to the festivities.

The Actors Fund Home (155-175 West Hudson Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey), an acclaimed assisted living and skilled nursing care facility for the performing arts and entertainment community, celebrated the opening of The Shubert Pavilion at their facility in Englewood, New Jersey on Friday, October 6, 2017. BroadwayWorld has photos from the dedication below!

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the SAG-AFTRA Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund (MPPWF) have created a Hurricane Relief Fund specifically to provide financial support to SAG-AFTRA members affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The Actors Fund's Annual Jock Duncan Celebri-TEE Golf and Tennis Outing at the Knickerbocker Country Club was a beautiful day in support of The Fund's Lillian Booth Actors Home, located in Englewood, New Jersey.

It's one thing to be able to act and sing like Brian Stokes Mitchell, but in addition, there is a whole other level of musicianship Brian possesses that enabled him to conceive and create his opening number, 'There's No Business Like Show Business'.  As 'Stokes' pointed out, his musical mind is in sync with his brilliant music director, Tedd Firth.  The two of them have produced an arrangement of this Irving Berlin standard that takes you on a roller coaster ride of meter and key changes.  A little bit of math proficiency was also probably needed because the Stokes/Firth arrangement starts off as a ballad and then weaves it's way through a variety of tempos which include 7/8 & 5/4. It certainly was indicative of the title of his cabaret show, 'Playing With Music.'  

The Actors Fund announced today a partnership with the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) on a new ongoing film series, 'Life on the Stage: Conversation and Film.' The series will focus on the stories, work, and lives of people in the performing arts.

The Actors Fund, the national human services organization that helps everyone in performing arts and entertainment in times of need, crisis or transition, will hold its Annual Gala on Monday, May 8, 2017.

The Actors Fund and Mount Sinai opened a new health center for the performing arts and entertainment community in New York City on Thursday. Conveniently located at 729 7th Avenue in Times Square, The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts will serve as the medical care provider that is solely focused on the particular health care needs of the entertainment and performing arts community.

Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chairman of The Actors Fund and Joe Benincasa it's CEO came to Palm Beach for the the 8th Annual Heart & Soul Gala which was started by Anka Palitz.  Anka, for the past 20+ years has been the FundraIsing Chair of CTFD. BroadwayWorld was at the event which honored philanthropist Sydell Miller. Marcelo Gomes received the organizations Dance Award, and the capacity crowd at The Breakers were entertained by Liz Callaway and local Palm Beach dancers.

The Actors Fund and Mount Sinai Doctors announced plans today to open a new health center for the performing arts and entertainment community in New York City. Scheduled to open in March 2017 at The Actors Fund's headquarters, conveniently located at 729 Seventh Avenue between 48th and 49th Street in Times Square, The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts will serve as the medical care provider that is solely focused on the particular health care needs of the entertainment and performing arts community.

Last night's Career Transition For Dancers 31st Anniversary Jubilee at the New York Marriott Marquis? was a great success. The evening honored Joe Lanteri/the New York City Dance Alliance? Foundation, and philanthropists Barbara and Donald Tober for Outstanding Contributions to the World of Dance. The gala benefit evening raised  $800,000 and was presented by the Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation and benefits The Actors Fund's CTFD services for the dance community.