Your Chance To Celebrate A Truly Heroic Legacy!

The National Marian Anderson Museum 20th Anniversary Gala & Concert Event will be a magical evening complete with a concert performance of “Ragtime the Musical” narrated by CBS 3 Anchor Ukee Washington. Planned for Saturday, October 28, 2017 starting at 5 p.m., it will be held at Philadelphia Performing Arts, a String Theory Charter School, 1600 Vine Street in Philadelphia.

The gala event begins with the theatrical concert at 5 p.m. and is followed by a celebratory dinner and entertainment from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The evening is planned to recognize the museum’s meaningful preservation, programming and exhibits in the memory and musical legacy of Marian Anderson.

An evening of significant importance, Jillian Patricia Pirtie, National Marian Anderson Scholar Artist and COO of the museum, shared her excitement about the gala. She said, “In the celebration of Marian’s life, we’re at a historic precipice of 20 years of our historical museum and her musical legacy. We celebrate Marian Anderson for her music, her humanitarianism and her legacy. As a Marian Anderson Scholar Artist, I’m honored to carry her torch and legacy”.

Many of the performers in “Ragtime the Musical” concert are Marian Anderson Scholar Artists or individuals who will receive this honor later in the year. The Marian Anderson Scholar Artist Program was started by Anderson in 1960. Blanche Burton Lyles, her protégé and a scholar artist herself continues the legacy with Patrice Pirtie continuing it. The Scholar Artist mission is to help foster education and professional performance development of talented young up-and -coming artists, ages 18 to 45.

The chorus and other students from String Theory Schools will perform in the production as well. Those Marian Anderson Scholars in the cast include Jillian Patricia Pirtle, organizer of the event and manager of the museum, in the role of Sarah, Steven Browne as Booker T. Washington and Regina Ann Smith as Sarah’s friend. There are many future inductees cast in the concert who include: Rosemary Schneider, teacher at String Theory, in the role of mother; Victor Rodriguez as the father; Derek Anthony Wilson in the role of Coalhouse Walker, Jr.; Connor McAndrews as Tateh; Matthew Hultgren as Harry Houdini; Sarah Galfgen as Emma Goldman; and, String Theory teacher Lisa Nardo, is playing the role of Evelyn Nesbit. Other distinguished members of the cast are Chase Byrd as Mother's Younger Brother, Frank Jakes as grandfather, Achilles Inverso as J.P. Morgan, Judge, Justin Gonzalez as Henry Ford, Keith Tracton as Willie Conklin and Matthew Henson and additional students from String Theory.

The National Marian Anderson Museum is very pleased that CBS 3 is a sponsor. Other sponsors include JNA Culinary Institute and Tiffany's Bakery.

Tickets are $75/person. To RSVP for tickets, contact the Marian Anderson Museum office 215-779-4219 As Soon As Possible www.marianandersonhistoricalsociety.weebly.com