PHAMALY's 2012 Circle of Stars - Feed Me Seymour! June 22, 2012

“Feed Me Seymour!” to Celebrate PHAMALY

Colorado's Critically Acclaimed Theatre Company

PHAMALY (The Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League) presents its 2012 Circle of Stars Gala featuring comedian Chris Fonseca. This one-night-only event will also feature a dazzling selection of musical performances by PHAMALY company members, including teasers of this summer’s musical, Little Shop of Horrors. PHAMALY favorite Edith Weiss (Winner of Best Director of a Play by the Denver Post Ovation Awards for Vox PHAMALIA) will inject her own wit into the evening as emcee.

The theme of this year’s celebratory fundraiser is “Feed Me Seymour” (a nod to the original Tony-award winning musical that PHAMALY will be performing this summer). Guests are encouraged to dress in red cocktail attire or accents that could satiate a human-eating plant from outer space! The evening will be rounded out with fine catered dining, blood orange martini’s and other libations, and silent and live auctions. All proceeds from the event benefit PHAMALY.

The 2012 Circle of Stars: “Feed Me Seymour!” featuring Special Guest Chris Fonseca will be held from 7:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22 at the new History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver, 80203.Ticket Prices start at $70 and VIP and Sponsor packages are available. To order tickets or RSVP visitwww.phamaly.org or call 303-575-0005.

Chris Fonseca is the first, and only, person with a visible disability to entertain on the Late Night Show with David Letterman, and is also a native of Colorado. Chris allows his Cerebral Palsy to be the foundation of many of his stories. He notes that this helps to break down many preconceived barriers about CP. For fifteen years now, he has had collegiate, corporate and association audiences rolling with him in the aisles.

Chris was already on his way up as he was asked to become part of the award winning PBS production, Look Who's Laughing, the first comedy special featuring those with disabilities. He has also been featured as an entertainer on The American Comedy Awards, a presenter at The Presidents Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities Conference, and featured comedian at The Montreal Comedy Festival. Each year he is the star performer of the San Antonio Latino Laugh Festival; where he plays to sold-out crowds of 20,000. He is currently a headliner at the newly formed Los Angeles Latino Comedy Festival.

For over a decade, Chris has become a veteran performer tuning his physical disability into a positive visual image. He has won the praise of Presidents Clinton and Carter and was invited to entertain on the ABC Special, An Evening of Hope-Christopher Reeve. Chris has additionally appeared on Evening at the Improv, Comedy on the Road, Entertainment Tonight, and has been featured in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and Daily Variety. He also had a co-starring guest role on a Media Access Award winning episode of Baywatch. Although touring over 200 nights a year, he still finds time to share with his two daughters.

Now in its 23rd season, PHAMALY is an award winning Colorado based Theatre Company comprised entirely of performers with a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. PHAMALY’s mission is to provide professional theatre opportunities and artistic development for performers with disabilities, and to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the performing arts community.

PHAMALY’s annual season includes a professionally-produced play staged in January at the Aurora Fox and February at the Arvada Center, a professional-scale musical at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in July, and an award-winning sketch comedy, Vox PHAMALIA, held at the Avenue Theater. New this year is the sketch comedy, disLabled, recently held at the Dairy Center in Boulder. PHAMALY also produces a regionally touring play, and outreach performances at local businesses, senior centers, community arts festivals, colleges and schools.

PHAMALY’s 2012 Circle of Stars Gala - “Feed Me Seymour!” featuring Special Guest Chris Fonseca - June 22, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver, 80203. Tickets start at $70 - www.phamaly.org