The off-Broadway, not-for-profit York Theatre Company will be hosting the 30th annual Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala at The Edison Rooftop in Midtown Manhattan on November 14, 2022. This award is named in honor of the legendary lyricist and librettist who helped shape American musical theatre through his collaborations with a number of different composers and writers.  The award was created in 1988 by Janet Hayes Walker, the Founding Artistic Director of The York Theatre Company, and is presented with the endorsement of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and the Hammerstein family. 

At this year’s gala, we are honoring Tony Award-winning performer Leslie Uggams (Hallelujah, Baby!; Anything Goes; "Deadpool" franchise with Ryan Reynolds; Thoroughly Modern Millie; and more) with The Oscar Hammerstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theater. We are also delighted to be honoring Ted Chapin, former president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization for over 40 years, with The York Theatre Founders' Award for individuals who have made a significant impact on the sustainability of the arts. 

For more than 50 years, we have had a unique place in New York’s off-Broadway theatre scene. Founded in 1969, The York provides an intimate, creative setting for emerging artists and legendary musical theater creators alike. Our mission is to develop new musicals and rediscover musical gems from the past. Each season is comprised of full Mainstage productions, a variety of concert presentations including the renowned Musicals in Mufti series, and dozens of developmental readings. As if the shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was not enough, a separate disaster befell The York: a flood caused by a city water main break on January 4, 2021 from which we are still displaced. All money raised from this event will help us continue our mission and find a new home. We are excited to enter into our second half-century dedicated to being the place "where musicals come to life!"