THE SUN COMES OUT FOR
NEW YORK FOUNDLING CHILDREN WHO
ATTEND THEIR FIRST-EVER BROADWAY SHOW --
ANNIE THE
MUSICAL
A chorus
of Foundling kids serenade “Annie” composer
Charles Strouse and more than
500
Foundling supporters with a special rendition of “Tomorrow”
at pre-show reception
(December 2, 2012,
New York, NY) – More than 500 theatre-goers today
attended a private reception and the matinee performance of
the smash Broadway hit,
Annie the Musical, in an extraordinary show of
support for The New York Foundling, one of the City’s oldest
and largest children and family services agencies. Also on
hand at the Palace Theatre were “real-life Annies” –
Foundling children involved with the child welfare system
who had never before seen a Broadway show.
In a moving and emotional
moment at the pre-show VIP reception, elementary school
children from The Foundling’s Haven Academy Charter School, located in the Mott Haven section of the
South Bronx, serenaded
Annie composer
Charles Strouse with their own rendition of the
show-stopping song “Tomorrow.”
The guests, who sported a
splash of red in support of The Foundling, had all been
scheduled to attend the charity’s November 13th
fundraising gala honoring Bill Rudin, Vice Chairman & CEO of
Rudin Management Company, Inc., and
Anthony Watson, Chairman and
CEO of EmblemHealth. The dinner, canceled in
the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, was to have featured an
Annie theme, “Tomorrow is Tonight.” Despite the
cancelation, the event still raised more than $1 million,
with every single donor remaining committed to their support
of the Foundling – particularly in the aftermath of
Hurricane Sandy.
Bill Baccaglini, CEO of The
New York Foundling, said, “Over the years, through good
times and bad, The Foundling has been blessed with
supporters who care deeply about the people we serve -- New
York City’s most vulnerable children and families. Their
remarkable dedication to our cause is evident today. With
their continued support will be able to save thousands of
children from a ‘hard knock life.”
Baccaglini also thanked Bill
Rudin and Anthony Watson for their extraordinary efforts
that have helped the Foundling protect children and preserve
families. He also singled out the team from
Annie the Musical
for making today’s event a success.
Among the other Foundling
supporters at today’s reception and performance were the
original Annie,
actress and singer Andrea McArdle; Tony
Award winning and Annie
the Musical Producer Arielle Tepper Madover; Tony
Award winning and Annie
the Musical Stage Director James Lapine;
Philanthropist and Chair & Co-founder of New York Harbor
Parks Marian Heiskell, who attended with her daughter and
grandchildren, Mrs. Wellington Mara who also attended with
her grandchildren, President of Signature Construction Dan
Tomai; Annie the Musical
cast members and CNN “Starting Point” anchor and Foundling
volunteer, Soledad O’Brien, who served as emcee of the
informal program and attended with her family.
Many of The Foundling children
and families who attended the show reside on Staten Island and have been struggling to rebuild their
lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
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