Laura Benanti to Host Broadway Salutes Honoring Industry Veterans, With Performance by Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer

On January 20, The Broadway League and the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) will present the 16th Annual Broadway Salutes, an industry-wide celebration honoring 450 Broadway veterans. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, celebrating artists, craftspeople and professionals recognized for 25, 35 and 50+ years of service to the Broadway community. The event will take place at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square.

Benanti was most recently seen in her one-woman show Nobody Cares at the Minetta Lane Theater. She has previously appeared in Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me,Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, In the Next Room, Nine and others. She is a four-time Tony nominee who won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her star-making role as Louise in the revival of Gypsy.

The evening will also feature a performance of “What I Did for Love” by Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, known for her iconic roles in Spamalot, Beetlejuice, Something Rotten and many more. Kritzer will be introduced by legendary performer and original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee.

Since its inception in 2009, Broadway Salutes has honored more than 5,300 members of the Broadway community, celebrating careers built on artistry, craftsmanship and dedication often unseen by audiences.

“Broadway Salutes is about recognizing the people who have devoted decades of their lives to this industry," said The Broadway League’s Immediate Past Chair and Broadway Salutes Committee Co-Chair, Lauren Reid. "Their work forms the foundation of Broadway’s success, and this celebration ensures their contributions are seen, honored, and remembered.”

Broadway Salutes’ Committee Co-Chairs are Laura Penn (SDC) and Lauren Reid (The Broadway League). Program Co-Directors are Marc Bruni and Paige Price (SDC). The Program Music Director is Meg Zervoulis.