New York, NY – May 8, 2025 – Opening Act is proud to announce its Annual Gala, Creating a Legacy, taking place on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, recipient of the 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre. This inspiring evening will celebrate the power of storytelling, honor those who have shaped the cultural fabric of our city, and uplift the next generation of artists leading us forward.
This year, Opening Act will present its Legacy Award to Clarence Maclin, acclaimed actor, advocate, and Academy Award nominee. Maclin’s performance in Sing Sing has drawn national acclaim for its depth and authenticity. His work with Rehabilitation Through the Arts embodies the liberatory and transformative power of theater, values at the very core of Opening Act’s mission.
“The transformative power of art has been evident to me ever since I felt the reciprocal effect on stage. It’s hard to explain exactly what you get back when you set out to teach, or entertain,” Maclin said. “One would think that this is a one way street – I came to deliver a message and that’s it. It’s not, the joy of receiving a message is just as great. The exchange is what makes it communal.”
In addition to Maclin, the gala will honor Lincoln Center Theater Education as its Community Partner Honoree for their impactful LEAD (Learning English through the Arts and Drama) program, which has strengthened Opening Act’s ability to support Multilingual Learners in its School-Based Programs.
This year’s Philanthropic Honoree is the Find Your Light Foundation with the Philanthropic Award in recognition of its longstanding commitment to arts education and sustained support of Opening Act’s programs. Their partnership began when Opening Act students performed with founder Josh Groban on The Today Show and has continued to grow, expanding access for young artists across New York City.
Guests will enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and unforgettable performances by Opening Act students, alumni, and special guests. The evening will celebrate Opening Act’s history delivering free theatre education to some of the city’s most under-resourced students and will set the organization up to continue inspiring creativity, fostering collaboration, and building community for years to come.
“I’m thrilled to celebrate this year’s incredible honorees, whose unwavering commitment to the transformative power of storytelling and theater education continues to inspire us,” says Alexander Santiago-Jirau, Opening Act’s Executive Director. “Their support strengthens Opening Act’s mission to broaden access to arts education for students across New York City, and we are honored to recognize their impact at this year’s gala. I’m equally excited to gather with our incredible Opening Act community—students, teaching artists, alumni, board, staff, partners, and supporters—who bring this mission to life every day.”
Tickets and sponsorship packages for Opening Act’s “Creating a Legacy” Gala are available now at openingact.org/annual-gala and you can follow @openingactny on Instagram and Facebook for more information.
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About Opening Act: Committed to closing the arts education access gap in NYC, Opening Act centers the voices of students of color through free, high-quality theatre programming. Since inception in 2000, they have grown to reach over 7,000 young people at 53 under-resourced schools throughout New York City. This includes a partnership with District 79, the city’s alternative school district, and expansion into middle school. After graduation, Opening Act alumni join the Act 2 program, which sets them up for academic, professional, and artistic success. Please visit www.openingact.org to learn more.
About Clarence Maclin: As Oscar Nominee Clarence Maclin, aka “Divine Eye” puts it, “My life was influenced by hip hop, but I was drawn to the negative parts of a beautiful culture.” By 1995, he was incarcerated and sent to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. In his sixth year at Sing Sing, he was asked to participate in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. Soon he was cast in RTA theater productions, making his debut as Juror #5 in Reginald Rose’s play Twelve Angry Men. During this time, Clarence earned his Associate’s degree in Behavioral Psychology through Mercy College. Since, Clarence has worked as a youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist at Lincoln Hall Boys Haven, and now as an RTA mentor. The feature film Sing Sing, inspired by Clarence’s life, aims to capture the deep emotions of the RTA program—its energy, heartbreak, and triumph. The breakthrough came when filmmakers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley decided to focus on the true story of two RTA members who formed a deep connection: John “Divine G” Whitfield, played by Oscar Nominee Colman Domingo, and Maclin. Maclin and Whitfield were deeply involved in the scriptwriting process, drawing from their experiences with RTA and their bond, which became the film’s core. He also served as an executive producer. His big screen acting debut garnered critical acclaim and was deemed a “star-making performance.” He received multiple award nominations in the Supporting Actor category, including a BAFTA, Critics Choice Award, Film Independent Spirit Award, and was the recipient of the Gotham Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance. Most notably, Maclin received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay alongside Kwedar, Bentley and Whitfield.
About Find Your Light Foundation: Josh Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to experience a quality arts education. We believe that is best achieved through direct support of exceptional arts programs combined with education, advocacy and outreach. We focus support where the need is greatest to inform and inspire others in recognizing arts education as a critical component of a young person’s development. In 2025, Find Your Light provided grant support for 189 organizations across 33 states.
About Lincoln Center Theater Education: By engaging with the artistry on Lincoln Center Theater’s stages and bringing teaching artists to New York City’s classrooms, Open Stages unlocks the power of theater to ignite the imagination. All season long, thousands of New York City public high school students take their rightful places in our audience. For some students, the High School Program means a first visit to the theater and to Lincoln Center. Both the students and the theater are transformed. Our in-class work is equally transformative. Whether students are writing a song, personalizing a line of Shakespeare, or performing for peers to help them feel more confident speaking English as multilingual learners, Open Stages stands for excellent theater and first-rate education.