2026 Entertainment Community Fund Gala Highlights

June 1, 2026 - The Entertainment Community Fund celebrated its Annual Gala on Monday, June 1, 2026 in New York City, which raised $1.8 million to support their programs and services. The evening celebrated The Cast from HBO Original The Gilded Age; Tony Award-winning Producer Daryl Roth; and Global Icon and Legendary Composer-Philanthropist Yoshiki as they received the Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor. The Fund’s 2026 Annual Gala raised a record-breaking $1.8 million dollars, the highest amount in Fund history. Speakers and presenters included Entertainment Community Fund Chair of the Board Annette Bening, Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa, Bob Greenblatt, Judith Light, Katherine Oliver, Jordan Roth and Bernie Telsey. The Gala included Lea Michele and the Broadway cast of ‪@ChessBway‬ performing “Nobody’s Side;” Julie Benko and Ben Levi Ross performing “The Night that Goldman Spoke at Union Square” from Ragtime; ‪@Yoshiki‬ performing a special drum solo mixed with Tchaikovsky, followed by a piano rendition of his song "Endless Rain"; the Broadway cast of ‪@Schmigadooon‬ performing “This Is How We Change;” “Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer” performed by Primo Thee Ballerino, Jonathan Burke, Baby Byrne, Dava Huesca and Dudney Joseph Jr. from ‪@CatsTheJellicleBall‬; readings from Three Tall Women read by Judith Light, The Normal Heart read by John Benjamin Hickey, Indecent read by Paula Vogel and Liberation read by Bess Wohl; and a finale performance of “Raise You Up/Just Be” from ‪@kinkybootsbway‬ led by original Broadway Cast member Stark Sands, with J. Harrison Ghee and Delaney Westfall, and Eric Anderson, Caroline Bowman, Joshua Buscher, Lauren Nicole Chapman, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, Andy Kelso, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Michael Milkanin, Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard, Robert Pendilla, Daniel Stewart Sherman and Joey Taranto. Christopher Ketner and Hunter Regian of Origin Story Productions served as Executive Producers for the event. Video Production: Origin Story Productions Video Editing: Prism Pictures https://entertainmentcommunity.org   / alifeinthearts     / alifeinthearts     / alifeinthearts   https://entertainmentcommunity.org/si...