Events of the Week: ‘The Iron Claw,’ ‘The Marvels’ and More

Inside this week's biggest Hollywood premieres, parties and openings.

Brooke Shields, Justin Guarini, J Harrison Ghee, Orfeh, Alicia Quarles & more help raise $850k at Only Make Believe Gala

Only Make Believe honored Brooke Shields for her advocacy and activism last night at their gala in New York.

Brooke Shields Sparkles in Silver Dress and More Standout Style Moments from the Week

All the can't-miss looks on your favorite stars from this week's most major events

Photos: J. Harrison Ghee, Justin Guarini and More Step Out for the 2023 ONLY MAKE BELIEVE GALA Celebrating Brooke Shields

The event raised $850,000 in crucial funds to support OMB’s interactive theatre programming. 

'Only Make Believe' Non-Profit Serves 100,000 Children

One of the most well-connected but lesser known non-profits, Only Make Believe (OMB), will reach a milestone this spring when it will celebrate serving 100,000 children since its inception back in 1999. Adding to the excitement, current OMB Board Member Brad Oscar will join the cast of "Oliver," which will run from May 3-14 at New York City Center, and former OMB actor David Shih will make his Broadway debut in "Life of Pi," which opens in previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 9th and officially opens on March 30th.

For decades, Only Make Believe has helped to enhance the lives of children who live with medically fragile conditions and developmental disabilities. Through OMB, professional actors work with these children either in-person or virtually to empower and explore their imagination, engage in critical thinking and express emotion through interactive theatre.

"We are so grateful for having the privilege of positively affecting the lives of tens of thousands of children throughout the decades," said Tamela Aldridge, Executive Artistic Director of Only Make Believe. "We are committed to bringing the joy and magic of interactive theatre to many more children for years to come. Only Make Believe looks forward to continuing our work with the amazing Broadway talent that lends to our success as we expand our programming both virtually and in-person across the country."

The Only Make Believe (OMB) program debuted in October 1999 at Rusk Institute's Pediatric Unit, NYU Langone Medical Center. Dena Hammerstein established OMB in memory of her husband James (son of theatre legend Oscar Hammerstein), for his dedication to the theatre and her own passionate love for children in need. The concept of OMB developed out of Dena's desire to introduce children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities to the magical world of theatre. OMB expanded to the Washington, DC area in 2012, and adapted to virtual programming throughout the pandemic. It continues today with a hybrid model.

To learn more about Only Make Believe, please visit www.onlymakebelieve.org. To schedule an interview, please contact Christopher Wilson via email at cwilson@onlymakebelieve.org or by calling 202.299.0855.

Interviews With The Broadway Performers At The Annual “Only Make Believe” Gala In NYC!

The Stars of Broadway joined forces for a night of philanthropy, celebration, and joyful music!

Emmy Award Winning TV Host, John Oliver, hosted the cheerful and annual Only Make Believe Gala, along with Broadway Stars Andy Karl, Beth Leavel, Bonnie Milligan, Brad Oscar, Kathryn Allison, Montego Glover, Orfeh, Alica Quarles, Terry Theologides, and Collet Reyes, to bring awareness and gratitude to the charity organization.

The actors from the organization have always performed live in children’s hospitals, however, due to the pandemic, the Annual Gala and the in-person programming has been on a pause for two years. The talented performers have been dedicating their creativity and passion to create fun and interactive, virtual programming for children in hospitals, in order for the charity’s mission statement to continue to thrive, even in the most unprecedented times.

The festive night featured performances by the talented Tony Award Nominees and Recipients, as well as personal anecdotes from the organization’s committed leaders, about how much Only Make Believe has not only positively affected the children in the hospitals, but the actors as well. Post-performances, the VIP guests attended the after-party at John’s of Times Square, right next door to St. James Theatre, where the guests enjoyed bubbly, and a delicious buffet of Italian classics.

Stars Celebrate at Only Make Believe’s Back on Broadway Gala

By: Iris Wiener

On November 14th,  Broadway’s elite came out to celebrate Only Make Believe’s 23rd Annual Gala, “Back on Broadway.” Only Make Believe is an inspirational, joyous organization that creates interactive theatre with children who have severe medical conditions and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit has brought theatre into hospitals and schools for special needs children throughout New York, all without charge. To date, Only Make Believe has inspired more than 100,000 children through performance. 

The gala, which took place at the St. James Theatre (current home to Into the Woods), truly embodies the spirit of theatrical performers, as it demonstrates their passion for inspiring and helping others through the use of imagination. The goal at this generous event was to raise money and awareness. John Oliver was on hand as host to bring humor and grace. Oliver and other exciting performers spoke with Theaterlife on the event’s red carpet. 

“As a kid we had performers come to our school, the kind of thing you see this organization doing,” he said of his own first time experiencing make believe. “I was really taken by the idea that you can escape into some other world and some other role. Not that I was Daniel Day Lewis-ing my performances as Willy Wonka or the Artful Dodger, but I did my best,” he laughed, describing his own experiences on stage. “For me, it did become a way to both escape whatever was happening in my life at that time, and also pointed me towards something that I wanted to do. I could not be a Broadway performer due to limitations such as not being able to sing or dance! Apparently, those two things are pretty important, so instead I can stand next to the actors and introduce them.”

The performers whom Oliver introduced included Beth Leavel (The Prom),  Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo), AJ Shively (A Man of No Importance), Brad Oscar and Rob McClure (Little Shop of Horrors), Montego Glover and Andy Karl (Into the Woods), and Orfeh (Pretty Woman).

“If I hadn’t used imagination and make believe and gone though my mother’s closet and acted out all of these characters and tried singing…I was a young kid from North Carolina who had no theatre in her life, no magic in that way,” Leavel told The New York Independent, before sharing that she is hoping to return to Broadway with the new musical The Devil Wears Prada. “Make believe helped me a great deal.” She performed an astounding rendition of “Some People” at the gala.

“Theatre is so important,” said Milligan, who proved that she should be leading the cast of Funny Girl with her take on “Don’t Rain On My Parade.” “Sometimes, we hear about defunding of any arts programs and those are the first to go. They are so important in a kid’s development, let alone for children in need or children with health issues of any kind. Only Make Believe is a life raft in many ways. To give money, time and space to these families with the power of imagination is so powerful it can’t be understated.”

Brad Oscar has worked with Only Make Believe since a benefit at 2001 at the Westside Theatre, where ironically, he is currently performing in Little Shop of Horrors. “I don’t remember ever not wanting to get dressed up, tell stories and put on little skits and plays and dance around to cast albums and all that stuff,” he says of his appreciation of how the use of imagination helps children. “The first album I wore out was Damn Yankees. I danced to all the characters. Who would limit themselves to just having to choose one? Whoever was singing, that was the role I was playing!” Oscar celebrated his first year as a “real live” board member for Only Make Believe.

Up until the previous evening, Oscar was playing Mr. Mushnik opposite Rob McClure, who finished his run as Little Shop’s Seymour. They did one last tango in “Mr. Mushnik and Son” at the gala. “I remember playing Ninja Turtles on my front lawn with cars going by and me not caring because I was making believe,” McClure recalled. “I feel like I was my best actor when I was 5, because the world hadn’t told me to be self-conscious yet. I could fully inhabit it. One of the things I admire most about Only Make Believe is how they take people who have training and are professional make believers, and they meet the people who are still in the place where make believe is as real as anything. They bring the power of play to the people who need it most.”

Montego Glover and Andy Karl are currently calling the St. James Theatre home, as they are starring in Into the Woods as the Witch and Rapunzel’s Prince, respectively. “It isn’t lost on me that I’m doing a play about the importance of children and what we say and do around them and to them,” Glover said of the poignancy of the gala taking place to the backdrop of Into the Woods’ set. “Only Make Believe strives to include children in the experience of art, but also the healing power of art. Any person who’s an artist can attest to that,” she said. She gave everyone a taste of her Broadway role with her rendition of Woods’ “Greens Greens.”

Imagination was incredibly important throughout the pandemic, and Andy Karl remembers how it shaped his own experience as an adult, inspiring him to give back. “Where there was no theatre we made one,” he said. “We found a place to do it. I wrote many plays myself and did Zoom readings and screen readings. Theatre is the most inspiring thing for people.”

“It’s phenomenal to get to inspire kids when they can’t make it to the theatre,” said Orfeh. “Children get to see live people doing this, and everything is sprung forth from your imagination. The impetus for every invention on this planet was once in somebody’s imagination.”

To donate to Only Make Believe visit www.onlymakebelieve.org/donate.
Photography: Jason Steinberg

Go Inside the Annual Only Make Believe Gala

Only Make Believe, a non-profit organization that introduces hospitalized children to the magic of theatre, presented their annual star-studded gala event November 14 at Broadway's St. James Theatre.

Tony nominee Rob McClure, Tony nominee Andy Karl, Tony winner Beth Leavel, Bonnie Milligan, Tony nominee Brad Oscar, Kathryn Allison, Telly Leung, Tony nominee Montego Glover, Tony nominee Orfeh, Alicia Quarles, Terry Theologides, and Collet Reyes were on hand to celebrate the evening, which was hosted by comedian John Oliver.

Directed by Tony winner Joe DiPietro and music directed by Steven Jamail, the event included an 80-minute show and a VIP after party at John's of Times Square.

Flip through photos from the event below:

John Oliver Says It’s Funny ‘Watching Elon Musk Destroy Twitter’: ‘$44 Billion Being Set on Fire’

Childlike wonder and imagination took the stage on Monday night during the annual Only Make Believe gala at the St. James Theatre.

Only Make Believe has brought interactive theater to over 60 children’s hospitals and special education facilities across the East Coast. Hosted by John Oliver, the 80-minute charity event featured colorful performances from some of Broadway’s biggest stars.

During his opening monologue, Oliver quipped about participating in Zoom benefits during the pandemic and how the Broadway ones “were sometimes some of the worst.” He also highlighted some “astonishing” examples of people using their Twitter Blue verification check marks to troll companies.

“Let me tell you how much fun tonight is going to be: it is going to be almost as much fun as it’s been over the last 10 days watching Elon Musk destroy Twitter,” Oliver said. “It’s okay to enjoy things when they’re very, very funny; $44 billion being set on fire in front of everyone’s faces is something you have to get a laugh at.”

Tony Award nominee Montego Glover opened with a musical number from “Into The Woods” that she sang in character as the Witch next door. To close out the night, Broadway power couple Orfeh and Andy Karl belted out a dynamic rendition of Prince’s “Kiss.”

Audience members also got to see “Little Shop of Horrors” stars Rob McClure and Brad Oscar perform on stage together for the final time. McClure, who played the lead role of Seymour Krelborn, just finished his run on the off-Broadway production this past weekend. On the red carpet, McClure highlighted the transcendent healing qualities that the power of play can have on children.

“It really is about fully embracing the pretend,” McClure told Variety. “Most of us got into [theater] because we felt madly in love with playing make-believe. We just happened to practice it so well and do it for so long. So being able to fully give ourselves to these kids, just as fully as we did when we were 5 with no filter in our brain playing Ninja Turtles on our lawn, is truly something that I think is singularly extraordinary.”

Patrons were encouraged to donate money in order to support Only Make Believe’s acting company, which has performed for over 95,000 children with medically fragile conditions and disabilities. This year, they are on track to triple their pre-pandemic numbers and serve 2,000 children.

The actors reflected on their time performing in virtual educational programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and passionately celebrated their return to Broadway. Looking back on her “humble beginnings” growing up in a trailer in Illinois, “Kimberly Akimbo” star Bonnie Milligan said she’s extremely grateful for the theatre industry’s timely comeback.

“I just think of the little girl from the Midwest that just wanted to be a part of it all,” Milligan told Variety. “And I get to be part of it now. So even when you’re really tired, you don’t forget your blessings.”

Brooke Haney, who joined the acting company in 2018, spotlighted how Only Make Believe supported its actors when their shows were canceled at the start of the pandemic.

“There’s already so much scarcity for actors that that was the moment for me that fear set in,” Haney recalled. “Most actors lost all of their income including their survival jobs.”

Amid all of the uncertainty, Only Make Believe’s board of directors was able to obtain a PPP loan and pay its actors for four straight months.

“It gave us, the actors, a gift of a little stability,” Haney said. “Only Make Believe is a company that stands by its actors in the back and in the worst of times.”

Photos: Stars Walk the Red Carpet at Only Make Believe BACK ON BROADWAY Gala

Only Make Believe was BACK ON BROADWAY for their Annual Gala, hosted by John Oliver of HBO's Emmy Award Winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

See photos below!

Only Make Believe creates interactive theatre with children in hospitals, special education schools, and care facilities. Inspiring joy and imagination, our professional actors engage children with medically fragile conditions and developmental disabilities,
fostering social and emotional growth.

OMB is dedicated to the principle that engaging a child's imagination is a vital part of learning and developing life skills. Our programming empowers children to explore their imagination, engage in critical thinking, and discover the fun-filled experience
of expressing emotions through interactive theatre.

Only Make Believe holds annual gala

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Only Make Believe is an interactive theater program that provides joy, inspiration, and empowerment to children with medically fragile conditions and disabilities. 

The goal is engaging a child’s imagination. On Monday night, the goal was to raise some money and awareness at their annual gala.

The nonprofit brings theater into hospitals and schools for special needs kids throughout New York, all free of charge.  Since 1999, it has performed for close to 100,000 children.

Artists from around New York came together Monday night to raise awareness and money for the nonprofit.

John Oliver of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight “ hosted the event at the St. James theatre.

“The interaction that people have in performance is really important,” he said. “For kids in particular, I know that having kids. You know, getting to take them to the theater is something I’m looking forward to doing. So getting as much of these people into areas where kids are t to kind of blow their minds is very, very important.”

He says the interaction that people have is really important. He looks forward to taking his own kids to the theater.

Andy Karl, who plays the prince in “Into the Woods” at the St. James, was on hand to lend his support.

He said he was honored to be there and thinks it’s important to acknowledge that kids need to keep their imaginations going, certainly through theater.  As a kid growing up, it was very important to him.

Actress Montego Glover also knows how theater can make a big difference in a child’s life.

“To say that arts were huge is a massive understatement,” she sad. “They allow us who have the great privilege of being artists to bring what we have to the table.”

Everyone not only celebrated this unique program, but also being back in person on the Broadway stage.

John Oliver joked a bit,

“Being around this number of people is both exciting and slightly anxiety inducing but yes, it’s very nice to be back here,” Oliver said.

Interview: Brad Oscar Takes Over the Little Shop of Horrors

Childlike wonder and imagination took the stage on Monday night during the annual Only Make Believe gala at the St. James Theatre.

Only Make Believe has brought interactive theater to over 60 children’s hospitals and special education facilities across the East Coast. Hosted by John Oliver, the 80-minute charity event featured colorful performances from some of Broadway’s biggest stars.

During his opening monologue, Oliver quipped about participating in Zoom benefits during the pandemic and how the Broadway ones “were sometimes some of the worst.” He also highlighted some “astonishing” examples of people using their Twitter Blue verification check marks to troll companies.

“Let me tell you how much fun tonight is going to be: it is going to be almost as much fun as it’s been over the last 10 days watching Elon Musk destroy Twitter,” Oliver said. “It’s okay to enjoy things when they’re very, very funny; $44 billion being set on fire in front of everyone’s faces is something you have to get a laugh at.”

Tony Award nominee Montego Glover opened with a musical number from “Into The Woods” that she sang in character as the Witch next door. To close out the night, Broadway power couple Orfeh and Andy Karl belted out a dynamic rendition of Prince’s “Kiss.”

Audience members also got to see “Little Shop of Horrors” stars Rob McClure and Brad Oscar perform on stage together for the final time. McClure, who played the lead role of Seymour Krelborn, just finished his run on the off-Broadway production this past weekend. On the red carpet, McClure highlighted the transcendent healing qualities that the power of play can have on children.

“It really is about fully embracing the pretend,” McClure told Variety. “Most of us got into [theater] because we felt madly in love with playing make-believe. We just happened to practice it so well and do it for so long. So being able to fully give ourselves to these kids, just as fully as we did when we were 5 with no filter in our brain playing Ninja Turtles on our lawn, is truly something that I think is singularly extraordinary.”

Patrons were encouraged to donate money in order to support Only Make Believe’s acting company, which has performed for over 95,000 children with medically fragile conditions and disabilities. This year, they are on track to triple their pre-pandemic numbers and serve 2,000 children.

The actors reflected on their time performing in virtual educational programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and passionately celebrated their return to Broadway. Looking back on her “humble beginnings” growing up in a trailer in Illinois, “Kimberly Akimbo” star Bonnie Milligan said she’s extremely grateful for the theatre industry’s timely comeback.

“I just think of the little girl from the Midwest that just wanted to be a part of it all,” Milligan told Variety. “And I get to be part of it now. So even when you’re really tired, you don’t forget your blessings.”

Brooke Haney, who joined the acting company in 2018, spotlighted how Only Make Believe supported its actors when their shows were canceled at the start of the pandemic.

“There’s already so much scarcity for actors that that was the moment for me that fear set in,” Haney recalled. “Most actors lost all of their income including their survival jobs.”

Amid all of the uncertainty, Only Make Believe’s board of directors was able to obtain a PPP loan and pay its actors for four straight months.

“It gave us, the actors, a gift of a little stability,” Haney said. “Only Make Believe is a company that stands by its actors in the back and in the worst of times.”

Rob McClure and Telly Leung Join Only Make Believe Gala

Only Make Believe, a non-profit organization that introduces hospitalized children to the magic of theatre, has added more Broadway stars to the lineup for their annual star-studded gala event, set for November 14 at Broadway's St. James Theatre.

Tony nominee Rob McClure and Telly Leung will join Tony nominee Andy Karl, Tony winner Beth Leavel, Bonnie Milligan, Tony nominee Brad Oscar, Kathryn Allison, Tony nominee Montego Glover, Tony nominee Orfeh, Alicia Quarles, Terry Theologides, and Collet Reyes, as well as host John Oliver.

Directed by Tony winner Joe DiPietro and music directed by Steven Jamail, event will include an 80-minute show and a VIP after party at John's of Times Square.

For more information, visit Eventbrite.com.

ONLY MAKE BELIEVE GALA to Feature Rob McClure, Beth Leavel, Bonnie Milligan, and More!

Only Make Believe is Back on Broadway for its Annual Gala, hosted by John Oliver of HBO's Emmy Award Winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. With appearances by this year's Only Make Believe Founder's Award honoree Terry Theologides, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Fannie Mae. Additional appearances by Emmy Award winning journalist Alicia Quarles and Clay Stefanki Award recipient Collet Reyes.

The event will celebrate those who inspire with their dedication to philanthropy and raise funds to support the company's interactive theatre programming in hospitals, care facilities, and schools with special education programs.

Set for Monday November 14th at 7pm at the St. James Theatre, the event will feature Kathryn Allison (Company), Tony Award Nominee Montego Glover (Into the Woods, Memphis), Tony Award Nominee Andy Karl (Into the Woods, Groundhog Day) Tony Award Winner Beth Leavel (The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone), Telly Leung (Aladdin), Tony Award Nominee Rob McClure ( Little Shop of Horrors, Mrs Doubtfire), Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo), Tony Award Nominee Brad Oscar (Little Shop of Horrors, Something Rotten) and Tony Award Nominee Orfeh (Pretty Woman). Directed by Tony award winner Joe DiPietro and music directed by Steven Jamail.

This incredible event will kick off with 80-minutes of spectacle and Broadway talent at the St. James Theatre, followed by a VIP after party at John's of Times Square.

Only Make Believe (OMB) creates interactive theatre with children in hospitals, special education schools, and care facilities. Inspiring joy and imagination, our professional actors engage children with medically fragile conditions and developmental disabilities, fostering social and emotional growth.

OMB is dedicated to the principle that engaging a child's imagination is a vital part of learning and developing life skills. Our programming empowers children to explore their imagination, engage in critical thinking, and discover the fun-filled experience of expressing emotions through interactive theatre.

Listen: Joe DiPietro Discusses DIANA THE MUSICAL And Upcoming Only Make Believe Gala On WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT

Playwright and lyricist Joe DiPietro (Memphis, Nice Work If You Can Get It) sat down with Patrick Oliver Jones, for this week's episode of Why I'll Never Make It, to talk about his long history with theatrical children's charity Only Make Believe as well as a couple of his shows that struggled coming to and surviving on Broadway.

For 23 years Only Make Believe has been bringing interactive theater to children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education programs. DiPietro is an original board member and shares how it was founded in New York City by producer Dena Hammerstein (Superior Donuts, Honeymoon in Vegas) but has since opened an office Washington, DC with outreach in other cities as well. Every November they have an all-star gala on Broadway to raise funds and awareness for the incredible work they do for children across the country. This year's gala on November 14th, directed by DiPietro, will be hosted by John Oliver and feature performances by a bevy of Broadway performers, including former guests of the podcast Brad Oscar and Kathryn Allison. DiPietro also provides backstory on Montego Glover and Cheyenne Jackson, both of whom have performed at previous OMB galas, and how they were cast in two of his shows, Memphis and All Shook Up, respectively.

Then DiPietro shares the process of bringing Diana, the Musical to Broadway, and the decision to film its stage production for Netflix during the Covid shutdown. Despite positive audience responses to its initial live performances, that movie version notoriously went on to win Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture, among others. While DiPietro offers his own ideas for such poor reception, he nonetheless takes it all in stride, saying "I've had every sort of review you can imagine, and so experience helps. I think if I was a young writer and that was my first thing, I think I would've just walked into the river."

DiPietro and Jones end their conversation with a look at Living on Love, his lone Broadway play that met with mixed reviews back in 2015. It starred another former guest of the podcast, Douglas Sills, along with opera star Renée Fleming, who received general praise for her theatrical debut. It was a whirlwind experience for DiPietro as he was brought in to adapt and overhaul Garson Kanin's play Peccadillo just two months before it started its initial production at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Because of that, the play never got a proper vetting in front of an audience before its stage premiere. Once it was headed to Broadway, though, for a limited run, DiPietro continued to refine the script. "I gave everything I could of myself to the show," he says. "I'm gonna make this as funny as I can." And for DiPietro, it is that process and love of theater-making that has kept him going since his New York debut back in 1996 with I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

Broadway Gives Back

IN THIS EPISODE

Read Full Transcript

From his current role in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS to his Tony Award-nominated performances in SOMETHING ROTTEN! and THE PRODUCERS, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, SPAMALOT, and many more, Brad Oscar is one of the funniest men on Broadway and off. For 20 years, Brad has also supported and now serves on the board of Only Make Believe, an amazing charity that brings theater into special needs schools and hospitals throughout New York City and Washington, DC. Join Brad as he discusses the healing power of the arts in the lives of critically ill and special needs children.

Learn more about about the worthy causes discussed in this episodes and how you can donate and/or help:

• Only Make Believe

• Purchase tickets to Only Make Believe’s Back on Broadway gala on on Monday, November 14, hosted by John Oliver

• Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

• Entertainment Community Fund

Make Believe Returns Outdoors

After more than a year, Only Make Believe returns to IN-PERSON performances. This time, kids can continue to imagine safely outdoors.

On June 5th, Only Make Believe returned to long-time partner facility HSC Pediatric Center for a two-person interactive kids show for an enthusiastic group of kids and their families. This Sensory-Friendly performance called “Gamers” allowed kids to move through six different levels in order to become “World-wide Gaming Stars.” Bubbles, talking snakes, and driving levels all created quick work for these groups of kids. Even the occasional (non-scripted) Cicada wasn’t enough to stop everyone from completing all levels.

Samsung Employees Give Back to Help U.S. Communities Thrive in Tough Times

Only Make Believe virtual card design activity for children living with chronic illness and disabilities

Rebecca Naomi Jones, Lauren Patten, Seth Rudetsky and More to Take Part in Only Make Believe Virtual Gala

The 21st Annual Virtual Gala will be held on Monday, October 26th, 2020 at 7pm and celebrate the music Rodgers & Hammerstein.

How Only Make Believe brings theater to kids in hospitals even during COVID