HMI: New Jersey Spring Soirée

Thursday, June 7, 2018 • 6 – 9 pm

Maize at Robert Treat Hotel
50 Park Place, Newark, NJ

Honoring Cynthia Erivo, BASF and John Heath Olguin

Join HMI: New Jersey for our annual springtime event to celebrate our successes of the last year and look ahead to the future of direct services for LGBTQ youth in New Jersey.

Spring Soirée brings together community members, corporate partners, youth, and elected officials to celebrate the year’s work and to raise crucial operational funds. HMI: New Jersey is the first comprehensive LGBTQ youth out-of-school time program in New Jersey dedicated to providing youth who are at-risk of harassment, abuse, neglect, homelessness and disconnection with a safe, supportive environment in which to grow and thrive.

Hosts

J.D. Bowers
James Cotten
Lauren Craig, Esq.
Colton Fontenot
Jennifer Meenan
Dr. Ronald Milon
Jeffrey Nelson
John Olguin
Jeff Spelman
Aaron Whipple
Dan Zanella

CYNTHIA ERIVO

HMI New Jersey is proud to honor Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning actress, Cynthia Erivo, at this year’s Spring Soirée. Cynthia is a strong supporter of women and communities of color. In fact, her advocacy extends onto stage in her portrayal of Celie in “The Color Purple”, which connected an entirely new generation to the story of an empowered, black, queer woman who overcame abuse and adversity.

Cynthia made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as ‘Celie’ in the critically acclaimed revival of “The Color Purple.” She first played the role in 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, earning rave reviews and an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for Best Musical Performance and a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Her performance on Broadway earned her several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, a Grammy Award as a principal soloist on original cast recording of “The Color Purple” (Best Musical Theater Album), a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Cynthia is also due to star in two upcoming films this Fall, “Bad Times at the El Royale” and “Widows”.