Brandon Victor Dixon Will Host Houses on the Moon's Gala

Houses on the Moon Theater Company will honor those that champion the unheard voice: award-winning producer, director and choreographer Warren Adams and celebrate immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir and The New Sanctuary Coalition with the 2018 Leyton Award at the 6th Annual Benefit Fundraiser "Amplify 2018" hosted by Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon on Monday evening, October 29, 2018 at The Cutting Room (44 East 32nd Street - between Park and Madison Avenues).

The festivities will begin at 6:30pm with an open bar with passed hors d'oeuvres & dessert, followed by the Leyton Award presentation, Honoree presentation, performance excerpts from Houses on the Moon productions, special performances by Brandon Victor Dixon and friends, and more!

"Houses on the Moon Theater Company has been working diligently for the past seventeen years to amplify the unheard voice and facilitate conversations with the goal of social change. Partnerships with community are so essential to the process," stated Emily Joy Weiner, Co-Founder & Artistic Director. She went on to add, "Warren Adams, Ravi Ragbir and The New Sanctuary Coalition are both champions of the unheard voice through their leadership in the arts and social justice worlds. We are thrilled and honored to celebrate them all at our Amplify 2018 fundraiser on October 29th."

Houses on the Moon Theater Company was founded in 2001 with a mission to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices. Through creative workshops, original performances, and post-show discussions, Houses on the Moon helps communities come together by making meaningful connections through the public sharing of their untold stories. All Houses projects are created through an extensive developmental and research process in collaboration with its community partners, which have included Amnesty International, the AFSC Immigrant Rights Program, Human Rights First and many others. At the core of the developmental process are interviews with real people about their lives, and a creative search for those human stories that yearn for a much wider hearing. Houses on the Moon believes in the power of theater to transform lives and instill empathy. Experiencing other people's emotional lives and journeys through the lens of a character allows the company to connect in a "safe" way and to learn about ourselves and those around us.

Tickets, ranging from $150-$275, are available for purchase by visiting www.housesonthemoon.org or by calling (866) 811-4111. Sponsorships starting at $1,000 are available by contacting Chandler Vinton (chandler@housesonthemoon.org).

Warren Adams (Honoree) is an award-winning producer, director, and choreographer. Born and raised in apartheid South Africa, he became the first Nelson Mandela Scholar in 1994, allowing him to study at the Rambert Ballet in London. In 1995 he won the first Rudolf Nureyev award in Europe and upon graduation he joined several dance companies in the UK, Europe, Australia, and South Africa before settling in the USA. Adams choreographed the Broadway box office smash hit Motown the Musicalfor which he won the 2013 Fred Astaire Award and the 2015 NAACP Award. In 2014, Adams produced and directed the documentary film Africa Straight Up and has been featured in Forbes Africa magazine. He also choreographed Born For This: The BeBe Winans Musical, pre-Broadway engagement at the Emerson Theatre in Boston. Other credits include Toy Story The Musical (Disney), Nora Ephron's Julie and Julia and works at New York City Center, the Joyce, 2nd Stage, South Coast Rep, Theatre for a New Audience, the Intiman, the Geffen and several others. Upcoming works include Directing Michael Ogborn's T R I A L, Gilbert Bailey's Bout To Blow and co-writing with Georgia Stitt the new musical She. He co-founded WalkRunFly Productions with Brandon Victor Dixon to produce new works for theatre, film and TV. WalkRunFly is currently developing six new works for stage and film, including Whorl Inside A Loop, a play about the mass incarceration system. WalkRunFly co-produced Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway starring Neil Patrick Harris winning a Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. They also co-produced Of Mice and Men starring James Franco. WalkRunFly collaborated with Daniel J. Watts to produce I Can't Breathe, to protest the killing of Eric Garner. Warren is the co-founder of VisaPaq, a portfolio company which has secured over 150 working visas for International Artists.

Ravi Ragbir and The New Sanctuary Coalition (Leyton Award Winner). The New Sanctuary Coalition of NYC is an interfaith network of congregations, organizations, and individuals, standing publicly in solidarity with families and communities resisting detention and deportation in order to stay together. We recognize that unjust global and systemic economic relationships and racism form the basis of the injustices that affect immigrants. We seek reform of United States immigration laws to promote fairness, social and economic justice.

Since its inception in 2007, the New Sanctuary Coalition of NYC ("the Coalition") has grown from a half-dozen congregations to a City-wide Movement, working in coalition with NYC's major immigrant organizations to reform immigration enforcement practices and policies, both locally and nationally, with a special focus on preserving family unity. Unlike other faith-based immigration reform advocacy groups, the Coalition operates at the congregational, grass-roots level, and focuses its efforts on reform of current detention and deportation practices, both nationally and in the NYC area.

Brandon Victor Dixon (Master of Ceremonies) is an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-nominated actor, singer, and producer. Dixon received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Judas opposite John Legend and Sarah Bareilles in the hit NBC broadcast of "Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert." On Broadway, Dixon starred as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Eubie Blake in Shuffle Along (Tony nomination), and originated the role of Harpo in The Color Purple (Tony nomination). Dixon also originated the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy in Motown the Musical, for which he was nominated for a Grammy and Drama League Award. Dixon received Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, and AUDELCO nominations for originating the role of Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys, for which he also starred in the West End London production. Dixon portrays slick defense attorney Terry Silver in the award-winning television series "Power" on Starz Network. He co-founded WalkRunFly Productions with Warren Adams to produce new works for theatre, film, and TV. Broadway productions include Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris andOf Mice and Men starring James Franco. The company has several new works in development.

The Leyton Award, named in honor of Mauricio Leyton, a Chilean born, talented actor and a beloved, committed member of Houses on the Moon. He was a natural leader and activist, dedicated to helping both individuals and communities grow and come together. He tragically passed away December 1st, 2013 of an aortic aneurysm. Following his unexpected death, Houses on the Moon created this award and grant to honor his memory. The Leyton Award is granted annually to an individual or organization that champions the unheard voice through community service.

The grant is funded by a percentage of the proceeds from the Houses on the Moon annual fundraising Amplify Benefit and by private donors. Past recipients include Save Our Streets: Bronx; Elaine Lane, Founder of David's Shoes; Susan Goodwillie, Founder of The Creative Solution Symposium Ryder Farms; Libertas Center for Human Rights at Elmhurst Hospital; Judy Sennesh, Board member of PFLAG NYC and Founder of TransFamilies Project; Lenni Benson, Founder and Executive Director of The Safe Passage Project.

Houses on the Moon Theater Company was founded in 2001 with the mission to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices. Partnership with community groups and extensive interviews with real people about their lives are at the core of the company's developmental process. Through creative workshops, original performances, and post-show discussions, Houses on the Moon helps communities come together by making meaningful connections through the public sharing of their untold stories.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos