Defying Inequality Benefit to Offer Day-of-Show Lottery

The star-studded Defying Inequality: The Broadway Concert — A Celebrity Benefit for Equal Rights, to be held at the Gershwin Theatre on Monday, February 23 at 8 pm, will offer 26 day-of-performance seats by lottery, with tickets priced at $25 each. Participants must be at the box office at 5:30pm, with names to be drawn at 6pm. There is a two-ticket per person limit; tickets must be paid for in cash, and a photo ID is required.

Schele Williams and Anthony Galde will direct the evening, with musical direction by James Sampliner. Judy Gold and Carson Kressley will serve as co-hosts. The event will benefit the Family Equality Council, Empire State Pride Agenda, Equality California, Garden State Equality, and The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, five charitable organizations working to promote equality and protect civil rights for the gay and lesbian community.

The concert will include the Broadway debut of Marc Shaiman’s Prop 8 – The Musical, a special performance by Stephen Schwartz, and a special video message from Sir Elton John and David Furnish.

The star-studded cast will include Douglas Carter Beane, Shoshana Bean, PJ Benjamin, Mike Birbiglia, Stephanie J. Block, Tamara Braun,Daniel Breaker, Kerry Butler, Lynda Carter, Gavin Creel, Harvey Fierstein, Jane Fonda, John Gallagher, Jr., Malcolm Gets, Jonathan Groff, Jayne Houdyshell, Crystal Hunt, Mark Indelicato, Allison Janney, Capathia Jenkins, Cyndi Lauper, Nathan Lane, Laughing Pizza, Adriane Lenox, Cameron Mathison, Rue McClanahan, Phyllis Newman, Keith Olbermann, Nicole Parker, David Hyde Pierce, Billy Porter, Seth Rudetsky, Sherri Saum, Reverend Al Sharpton, Carole Shelley, Christopher Sieber, Doug Spearman, Sally Struthers, Tamara Tunie, Michael Urie, and Scott Wittman.

The performance will also feature The Broadway Boys, The Gay Men’s Chorus, members of the closing cast of Gypsy, original cast members from Spring Awakening, and cast members from Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, The Color Purple national tour, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Saturday Night Live, South Pacific, Sesame Street, Don’t Quit Your Night Job, Hair, and Wicked.

For more information, visit www.defyinginequality.com.