Broadways Doreen Montalvo to be Honored with 2011 Spirit Award from Help Is On The Way Today

[cabaretman24]

Posted: 3/23/11 at 11:13pm

Help Is On The Way Today Honors
Broadway's Doreen Montalvo
With The 2011 Spirit Award



Drama Desk Award Winner and Broadway Actress Doreen Montalvo will be the recipient of The 2011 Spirit Award presented by Help Is On The Way Today. Help Is On The Way Today is a non for profit organization that helps and assists children and youth living with HIV and AIDS in New York City. Ms. Montalvo who performed on Broadway in the TONY award winning musical has been a supporter of the organization and the work they do with children and youth here in New York. Ms. Montalvo has organized and hosted several cabaret show benefits for the organization. In 2010 and 2011 she hosted two of the Cabaret Cares shows that featured her and the cast of the TONY Award winning musical In The Heights. She also created an evening called Ladies Night and has help raise thousands of dollars for Help Is On The Way Today over the past two years.

Ms. Montalvo will receive her Spirit Award on May 22nd at the annual Cabaret Cares Gala at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Cabaret Cares is the award winning (2009 BISTRO and MAC Award ) monthly series produced by founder and president of Help Is On The Way Today, Joseph Macchia. The series features some of the best singers from Broadway and the New York cabaret community. This year Cabaret Cares Gala celebrates five years of performances and has raised and distributed over $50,000. The evening be hosted by radio personality Valerie Smaldone who can be currently heard on WOR on Valerie's New York.

Help Is On The Way Today is a grass roots non for profit founded by Joseph Macchia. Joseph Macchia founded the organization after meeting a seven year old boy named David who was living in a group home in Washington Heights. David was living with HIV and cerebral palsy and in need of a new motorized wheelchair. The paperwork for the chair had been lost twice by Medicaid and on the third time David was denied his new chair. Macchia heard this and was really upset about the situation. He produced a one night cabaret show and raised the money to buy David the chair. He then realized there must be more children out there living with HIV and AIDS,and on that night Help Is On The Way Today was born. Since its start only three years ago the organization has grown from servicing 22 children to over 650 children.

Macchia is thrilled that Help Is On The Way Today is honoring Montalvo with this years Spirit Award. "Doreen is truly a beautiful person on the inside and outside, she is always there when we need her and never says no." Her kind heart and dedication to our cause and what we do is why we chose her this year."

The Cabaret Cares Gala will take place on May 22nd at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at 407 West 42nd Street.
Doors open promptly at 6:00 PM for a lovely cocktail hour then at, 7:00 PM dinner will be served. At 8:00 PM the show will start. Performing that night Eric Michael Gillett (2010 Spirit Award Winner),Susan Winter,Ilene Kristen(One Life To Live),Jackie Fornatale,Kimberly Reid,Tony Fusco,Lorinda Lisitza,Tom Gamblin (National tour of Titanic),T.Oliver Reid(Mary Poppins),Gretchen Rainhagen(MAC,Nightlife,and Bistro Award Winner), Barbara Porteus,Peter Napolitano,John Demarco,Robert Fowler( The Producers,Beauty and The Beast),Doreen Montalvo( In The Heights) and more.

Tickets are $100 and include cocktail hour,dinner,unlimited beer,wine,soda,specialty cocktail, the show and gift bags for all. Tickets can be purchased through PayPal or Smarttix.com, or by calling 718-672-6714. There will also be a live auction that will feature spa packages,jewelry,designer backpacks and laptop bags and more.