New York, NY (June 4, 2026) – The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, has released photos and video from their Annual Gala on Monday, June 1, 2026 at Cipriani 42nd Street 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.
The evening welcomed special guests and presenters including Entertainment Community Fund Chair of the Board Annette Bening as well as The Gilded Age cast members Ben Ahlers, Carrie Coon, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Donna Murphy, Douglas Sills, Morgan Spector and John Douglas Thompson; Lynn Ahrens, Ali Louis Bourzgui, Holly Butler, Desmond Child, Nicholas Christopher, Robert Creighton, Hannah Cruz, Lear deBessonet, Tovah Feldshuh, Stephen Flaherty, Bob Greenblatt, Pearl Khewzi, Lorne Michaels, Allyson Tucker Mitchell, Jerry Mitchell, Katherine Oliver, David Hyde Pierce, Bryce Pinkham, Jordan Roth, Ellenore Scott, Michael James Scott, Brooke Shields, L. Steven Taylor, Bernie Telsey, Richard Thomas, Ben Vereen, Jessica Vosk, Chandra Wilson and many more.
The Gala included Lea Michele and the Broadway cast of Chess 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 Schmigadoon performing “This Is How We Change;” “Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer” performed by Primo Thee Ballerino, Jonathan Burke, Baby Byrne, Dava Huesca and Dudney Joseph Jr. from Cats: The Jellicle Ball; 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 Kinky Boots, 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.
The Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor was inaugurated on May 9, 1910 when it was first presented to President William Howard Taft. The award was revived in 1958, and since 1992, when Shubert Organization President Bernard B. Jacobs was recognized, the award has been presented at an annual fundraising gala. Dozens of leaders have been recognized with this high honor given to individuals and organizations that enrich the entertainment community. To view past honorees, visit entertainmentcommunity.org/honorees.