Tom & Michael D’Angora
2025 Spring Gala Honorees
Tom and Michael D’Angora are Emmy and Tony nominated producers who are the proud new owners of the legendary Theatre District restaurant West Bank Café and Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd Street! Broadway credits include Suffs, Cabaret, Harmony, How to Dance in Ohio and Caroline, or Change, as well as next season’s Queen of Versailles, off-Broadway’s Messy White Gays and My Son’s a Queer But What Can You Do. Recently, they were the Lead Producer of the award-winning off-Broadway musical Walking With Bubbles.
For over a decade, they served as lead producers of NEWSical The Musical, which is the 3rd longest-running musical revue in history and was the recipient of an official Proclamation from the Mayor, the Senate, and the Speaker of the NY City Council. Other New York theater credits include Harmony (off-Broadway), A Musical About Star Wars, (produced/directed/written by), The Marvelous Wonderettes (produced/directed), ICONS (produced/directed/conceived), A Broadway Diva Christmas (produced/directed/conceived) and the first family musical about disability, inclusion, and kindness, Addy & Uno. They have also served as producers for countless films, albums, concerts, special events, and television shows, most notably the critically acclaimed Liza Minnelli documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Totally True Story, the LGBTQ+ drama Mélange, starring Morgan Fairchild and which the press has dubbed “Gay Dynasty,” and the Emmy award-winning series After Forever.
In 2021, Tom and Michael volunteered their time to help several local theaters and businesses in danger of closing due to the pandemic stay afloat. In just six months they produced and directed 6 virtual telethons, with over 700 notable stars of stage, screen, and beyond which raised 1.5 million dollars and made sure The West Bank Cafe, Birdland Jazz Club, The York Theatre, Stonewall, The Labyrinth Theater, and The Theate World Awards survived the pandemic. For the York Theatre, they produced and directed the virtual production of The Musical of Musicals The Musical, which featured stars like Patti LuPone, Andre De Shields, Chita Rivera, Richard Kind, Ana Gastyer, Ethan Slater, Lillias White, and more and earning them an Emmy nomination.
They have been nominated for 3 Tony awards, 2 Emmy awards, 6 Drama Desk awards, 3 Outer Critics Circle awards, 4 Drama League awards, a GLAAD Media Award, and a Lucille Lortel award and have won an Outer Critics Circle Award, 4 Off Broadway Alliance awards, a Backstage Bistro Award, a MAC award, and 3 Broadway World Awards, and have recently been inducted into The New England Music Hall of Fame.
In December of 2021, Tom was given a Human Rights award for his activism and Senator Brad Hoylman proclaimed 12/12/21 “Tom and Michael D’Angora Appreciation Day” in NYC’s legendary theater district.
Fun Fact: In 2002-2003 Michael was an intern at The York!
Gary William Friedman
Composer / Arranger
Gary William Friedman (Composer/Arranger) is best known for his TONY-nominated, OBIE Award winning musical The Me Nobody Knows. Other theater credits include Taking My Turn which won the Outer Critic’s Circle Award and was subsequently presented on PBS Television’s Great Performance Series.
Friedman co-created with Stevie Holland the musical Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. He has collaborated with Holland on several internationally acclaimed jazz recordings as an arranger and composer of original songs.
Friedman has scored several feature and television films and his orchestral, operatic and dance works include commissions by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Lancaster Music Festival. Recent premieres include “A Poe Triptych”, a chamber orchestral work inspired by works of Edgar Allan Poe, commissioned and performed by the Pit Stop Players in New York City, and “Reflections”, a chamber work commissioned and recorded by the Palisades Virtuosi on American Masters (Albany Records Vol. 6.) A collection of his symphonic works is recorded on the CD Colloquy (150 Music) and a new collection will be released Spring 2026 (Navona Records.)
Friedman served as Music Director for T.V.’s “The Electric Company”, for which he composed many songs, including the popular “Spider Man Theme Song”. www.garywilliamfriedman.com
Will Holt
Lyrics
Will Holt (Lyrics) was a singer, songwriter, librettist, lyricist and composer. His Broadway credits include the lyrics for The Me Nobody Knows, which won him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and a TONY nomination for Best Lyrics, and the books for Over Here, Me And Bessie, and A Kurt Weill Cabaret, in which he performed, in addition to translating some of the lyrics. Other theater credits include A Walk On the Wild Side, for which he wrote book, music and lyrics, and won the Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics Award, the Outer Critic’s Circle Award winning Taking My Turn, and Jack, an opera about JFK that was produced in Dublin, Ireland. Holt wrote English lyrics for “Lemon Tree”, which was recorded by several artists, including Peter, Paul and Mary, “One Of Those Songs”, which was recorded by Jimmy Durante, among others.
Joseph Hayward
Director
Joseph Hayward (Director) Proudly serves as the Interim Artistic Director of The York Theatre. Recent directing credits include Pride & Prejudice and Radium Girls (American Academy of Dramatic Arts); How to Steal an Election, Liz Callaway’s Their Story Goes On …, and Julie Benko Sings Jule Styne (The York Theatre); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (South Orange Performing Arts Center); Desperate Measures (St. Michael’s Playhouse); and Children of Eden (St. Bart’s). He was an associate/assistant director of Cagney (Pioneer Theatre Company), Desperate Measures (New World Stages), and the opening ceremonies of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Insta: @jcwhayward
Irvin Mason Jr.
Associate Director
Irvin Mason Jr. (Associate Director), a St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands native, is a director, actor, poet, and teaching artist. His work combines expressive movement, live music, emerging technology, and Afro-Caribbean traditions to revitalize physical storytelling. He’s the 2024-2026 Drama League Stage Directing Fellow. Directing: Gallery Players: Ain’t Misbehavin, Pipeline; Chain Theatre: Stuck. Associate/Assistant Directing: Acting Company: Two Trains Running; Park Square Theater: Gin Game; AMAS: Gospel According to Heather. Broadway: (Directing Observer) The Wiz. Theatre: (SDCF Directing Observer) MUNY: Little Shop of Horrors, Rent; (Directing Observer) NAMT: Pup! A Chew Story. Social @iirvinmason | irvinmasonjr.com
“a HUGE hit!”
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Stevie Holland
Book / Additional Lyrics
Stevie Holland is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, songwriter and recording artist. She co-created and starred off-Broadway in the musical Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter, directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. Love, Linda has subsequently been produced across the globe. A special filmed version of the show won several awards including ‘Best Actress in a Feature Film’ in the Culver City Film Festival for Holland. The film is streaming at Amazon Prime/BroadwayHD.
In addition to Platinum Dreams, Holland’s musical projects currently in development include Merton of the Movies, an adaptation of the Kaufman/Connelly hit play, Dream Mountain, a musical about the creation of Mount Rushmore, and Barnsong, an animated musical fantasy about farm animals.
Holland is releasing a new jazz vocal album in the fall of 2025. Her previous recordings include Life Goes On and Before Love Has Gone (USA TODAY Top CD of the Year/All Music Guide Album Pick/iTunes’ top 100 Jazz CDs).
She has headlined at major venues around the country and in New York, including Merkin and Kaufman Concert Halls and Jazz at Lincoln Center. www.stevieholland.com
Gary William Friedman
Composer / Arranger
Gary William Friedman (Composer/Arranger) is best known for his TONY-nominated, OBIE Award winning musical The Me Nobody Knows. Other theater credits include Taking My Turn which won the Outer Critic’s Circle Award and was subsequently presented on PBS Television’s Great Performance Series.
Friedman co-created with Stevie Holland the musical Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter. He has collaborated with Holland on several internationally acclaimed jazz recordings as an arranger and composer of original songs.
Friedman has scored several feature and television films and his orchestral, operatic and dance works include commissions by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Lancaster Music Festival. Recent premieres include “A Poe Triptych”, a chamber orchestral work inspired by works of Edgar Allan Poe, commissioned and performed by the Pit Stop Players in New York City, and “Reflections”, a chamber work commissioned and recorded by the Palisades Virtuosi on American Masters (Albany Records Vol. 6.) A collection of his symphonic works is recorded on the CD Colloquy (150 Music) and a new collection will be released Spring 2026 (Navona Records.)
Friedman served as Music Director for T.V.’s “The Electric Company”, for which he composed many songs, including the popular “Spider Man Theme Song”. www.garywilliamfriedman.com
Will Holt
Lyrics
Will Holt (Lyrics) was a singer, songwriter, librettist, lyricist and composer. His Broadway credits include the lyrics for The Me Nobody Knows, which won him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and a TONY nomination for Best Lyrics, and the books for Over Here, Me And Bessie, and A Kurt Weill Cabaret, in which he performed, in addition to translating some of the lyrics. Other theater credits include A Walk On the Wild Side, for which he wrote book, music and lyrics, and won the Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics Award, the Outer Critic’s Circle Award winning Taking My Turn, and Jack, an opera about JFK that was produced in Dublin, Ireland. Holt wrote English lyrics for “Lemon Tree”, which was recorded by several artists, including Peter, Paul and Mary, “One Of Those Songs”, which was recorded by Jimmy Durante, among others.
Joseph Hayward
Director
Joseph Hayward (Director) Proudly serves as the Interim Artistic Director of The York Theatre. Recent directing credits include Pride & Prejudice and Radium Girls (American Academy of Dramatic Arts); How to Steal an Election, Liz Callaway’s Their Story Goes On …, and Julie Benko Sings Jule Styne (The York Theatre); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (South Orange Performing Arts Center); Desperate Measures (St. Michael’s Playhouse); and Children of Eden (St. Bart’s). He was an associate/assistant director of Cagney (Pioneer Theatre Company), Desperate Measures (New World Stages), and the opening ceremonies of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Insta: @jcwhayward
Irvin Mason Jr.
Associate Director
Irvin Mason Jr. (Associate Director), a St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands native, is a director, actor, poet, and teaching artist. His work combines expressive movement, live music, emerging technology, and Afro-Caribbean traditions to revitalize physical storytelling. He’s the 2024-2026 Drama League Stage Directing Fellow. Directing: Gallery Players: Ain’t Misbehavin, Pipeline; Chain Theatre: Stuck. Associate/Assistant Directing: Acting Company: Two Trains Running; Park Square Theater: Gin Game; AMAS: Gospel According to Heather. Broadway: (Directing Observer) The Wiz. Theatre: (SDCF Directing Observer) MUNY: Little Shop of Horrors, Rent; (Directing Observer) NAMT: Pup! A Chew Story. Social @iirvinmason | irvinmasonjr.com
