The Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) will have their Tenth Anniversary Season Gala on March 24 honoring two figures for their contributions to the arts and the Astoria community.
City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. will be honored for his efforts in improving both Astoria and the great New York area. Vallone is chair of the Public Safety Committee and has led the battle to put more officers in local precincts and to stop cuts to the NYPD. The councilmember also fights for New York City to get the money it deserves from the state and federal governments.
“I am very honored to have been chosen, this is an organization I am very fond of,” said Vallone.
“Astoria needed a group to support its artists. I gave [APAC] its first funding and I have watched it grow like a proud father.”
Another honoree is Hal G. Rosenbluth, president of Kaufman Astoria Studios. Rosenbluth has helped solidify the studio’s status as one of the largest and most all-inclusive studio campuses in New York City. The studio offers producers, directors and other industry professionals over 500,000 square feet of space for budgets large and small.
The gala will have a special musical performance, directed by both an APAC alum and the program’s artistic director, entitled “Beautiful Music: 10 Years of APAC.” The medley will feature selections from various musicals produced at APAC in its ten year history and will end with “Beautiful Music,” a song from the organization’s upcoming production of “The Human Comedy,” led by musician and Broadway performer Tituss Burgess.
APAC alumni will perform the musical at the event on March 24, which will also be hosted by Burgess. The performer originated the role of Sebastian the Crab in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and has performed his music on episodes of “The View” and “Good Morning America,” to name a few.
APAC was founded in 2001 by actress Susan Scannell and strives to bring high quality theatre and entertainment to the Astoria/Long Island City area. The non-profit organization compliments a full season of mainstream performances with community programming for both youth and senior citizens and has won countless awards, including four New York Innovative Theatre Awards.
Tickets to the Season Gala are $100 and are available at apacny.org. The event, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., includes a light dinner and a raffle drawing and will be held at Cienna on 31st street in Astoria.
