Tony Award-winning Faith Prince and Broadway legend Lee Roy Reams will headline HOT SEAT! a celebration honoring The Theater Offensive's vital role in the American theater scene.

Voted "Can't-Miss Party of the Year!" in the 2004 Boston Phoenix Readers' Poll, HOT SEAT! hopes to top even itself in 2005 with a concert performance and unique live auction to be held on Monday, February 28, at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts' Virginia Wimberly Theater, 527 Tremont Street in Boston's South End.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets start at $125 with $1000-plus donors enjoying a special celebrity reception at 6 p.m. 

Faith Prince (left) will perform songs from her award-winning cabaret act featured on the live recording, "A Leap of Faith." Faith was last seen on Broadway in "Noises Off" along with Patti LuPone and Peter Gallagher. In 2001 she starred on Broadway as Ella Peterson in the Comden and Green classic "Bells Are Ringing," for which she received Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations.  She is perhaps best known for her Tony-winning turn as the perennially unwed Miss Adelaide in the 1992 Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls," for which she also won Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. She created major Broadway roles in "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), "Nick and Nora" (Outer Critics Circle award), and "Little Me" with Martin Short, as well as playing an acclaimed Anna in the recent revival of "The King and I."

After starring in Broadway's James Joyce's "The Dead," Faith reprised her role for the West Coast and Washington premieres of that production (Ovation, Helen Hayes nominations). She originated the character of Trina in William Finn's "Falsettoland," and also appeared off-Broadway in "Bad Habits," "Urban Blight," "Groucho," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Olympus on My Mind," and "Scrambled Feet." On television, she has been a recurring guest star on "Spin City" and "Now and Again" and was featured in the PBS special "My Favorite Broadway." She can be seen this season on "House" (FOX), "Huff" (Showtime) and "Monk" (USA).

Lee Roy Reams (left), meanwhile, has been described by The New York Times as "A song & dance man nonpareil!"  This year's "Keep The Faith" Award recipient, the multi-talented performer/actor was last seen in Boston as disastrous choreographer Roger DeBris in the national tour of Mel Brooks' "The Producers."  Lee Roy was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his Broadway performance as Billy Lawlor in the original cast of "42nd Street." Other Broadway roles include in "An Evening with Jerry Herman," which he also directed, and as the charming Lumiere in Disney's smash hit "Beauty and the Beast." That marked his fourth show at Broadway's legendary Palace Theatre, having appeared there in "Sweet Charity," opposite Lauren Bacall in "Applause" and opposite Carol Channing in "Lorelei." He also played Cornelius Hackl in the 1978 Broadway production of "Hello, Dolly!,"  starred as Albin/Zaza in the 10th anniversary production of "La Cage Aux Folles" and directed the 1996 Tony nominated revival of "Hello, Dolly!"

Auctioneer extraordinaire Kathy Kingtston will lead this year's dramatic HOT SEAT! live auction. Coveted items are set to include a South African Photo Safari, a Fluffer Package, Celebrity Cocktails with Joan and Robert Parker, a 2006 Montreal Gay Games Package, a "Six Feet Under" Set Tour package and Comedy Channel's Margaret Cho Package.

Grounded in a commitment to build an activist-based artistic forum, Artistic Director Abe Rybeck has driven The Theater Offensive's ambitious programming to the cutting edge of queer culture and politics for over 15 years.  

Best known for its annual Out On The Edge Festival, Theater Offensive has also developed new works and nurtured new artists through Plays At Work.  However, the most integral component to T-Off's longevity and success are the grassroots outreach programs such as DAGGER, True Color Out Youth Theater and A Street Theater Named Desire.

Theater Offensive has received special recognition from the NEA/TCG, Rockefeller Foundation, The Boston Women's Fund, AIDS Action Committee, The Elliot Norton Boston Theater Awards, the IRNE awards, the Greater Boston Business Council, The Boston Foundation, and The Boston Globe.

For HOT SEAT! tickets and information call 617-621-6090 or visit www.thetheateroffensive.org.

-- OnStage Boston

02/10/05