Press Releases

IMAGE: http://www.algonquinarts.org/cc/BroadwayRay_Hairspray_Check.jpg
Credit: Photo courtesy of Algonquin Arts Theatre
Caption: "Broadway Ray" Soehngen, left, presents a check to Algonquin Arts Theatre education director Julie Nagy (back row, right) and members of the Algonquin Youth Ensemble.

MANASQUAN, N.J. (September 7, 2015) � How much is an up-do worth to you?

For Algonquin Arts Theatre, a good HAIRSPRAY is worth thousands of dollars due to the generosity of their patrons and 'Broadway Ray' Soehngen.

The sponsor of HAIRSPRAY, Broadway Ray backed the Broadway Ray Matching Gift Campaign from which funds will be used to support the Algonquin's education programs and also underwrite tuitions for the Algonquin's Performing Arts Academy, which includes the Algonquin Youth Ensemble.

The attendees of the two weekends of performances in July generously gave a combined $8,045 toward the campaign, which was matched by Soehngen with a check presented to the theatre at the end of August.

Soehngen's former employer, GE, has matching funds program through the GE Foundation, which will bring the total sum raised to $24,135.

"Broadway Ray has a unique passion for Algonquin Arts Theatre and the performing arts in general," said Algonquin Arts Theatre artistic director William Whitefield. "Ray came to each performance of HAIRSPRAY and personally challenged all of our patrons to invest in our future � and backed up his challenge with a generous matching gift."

Soehngen, a long-time resident of Wall who now resides in Brick, has a gift for helping organizations raise much needed funds and giving back to his community. These include Exit 82 Theatre Company, Brick Children's Community Theater (BCCT), Friends of the Point Pleasant & Brick Libraries, Troopers Assisting Troops (TAT), Easter Seals of New Jersey, Ocean County Vocational/Technical Performing Arts Academy (OCVTS), Manasquan High School Drama Club, and Algonquin Arts Theatre.

This is the second such matching gift campaign supported by Broadway Ray. In April of 2013, through patron contributions and the match from Soehngen and GE Foundation, the Algonquin raised more than $30,000.

Contributions from individuals, organizations and corporations are critical for both operating and making capital improvements to Algonquin Arts Theatre. For more information on how you can support the theatre, please contact Teresa Staub 732-528-4336 or visit algonquinarts.org.

About Algonquin Arts Theatre

Algonquin Arts Theatre (AAT) is a 501c(3) non-profit center for performing arts, providing cultural enrichment and arts education for residents and visitors of Central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore through high quality performances and programs in theatre, music, dance and film.

Located in Manasquan, N.J., AAT is an integral part of the Shore Region, offering broad access to arts experiences across multiple disciplines. Deeply committed to education, AAT serves students of all ages not only through art and music instruction, but also through the unique communal conversation that exists between audience member and performer. The theatre provides a platform for local and regional performers to showcase their work and offers audiences the opportunity to engage very directly and personally in the arts, fostering gr eater participation and providing an engaging means for exploring personal and societal issues through the world of the stage.

Algonquin Arts Theatre's programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts / Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding is also provided by Manasquan Bank, the Paul F. Zito, M.D. Educational Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Freed Foundation, the PNC Foundation, the Horizon Foundation of New Jersey, the OceanFirst Foundation, the Investors Bank Foundation, the Provident Bank Foundation and the generosity of our patrons.