WICKED Chicago Company Hosts DEFYING INEQUALITY 1/12

On Monday, January 12, 2009 at 8 p.m., the Chicago Company of WICKED will host DEFYING INEQUALITY, a special evening of benefit cabaret performances promoting equality and civil rights. Held at Park West (322 W. Armitage, Chicago) and featuring cast members from WICKED as well as special guest performers, this unique one-night only event will benefit Empire State Pride Agenda, Equality California, Garden State Equality and Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, four non-profit charitable organizations working to legislate equality and protect civil rights for the gay and lesbian community. All proceeds will be distributed evenly among the four organizations.

Produced by company members of WICKED, the event will feature cast members of the Chicago companies of WICKED and Jersey Boys, cast members from the National Tour of Grease, members of Second City, the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and other special guests. A silent and live auction will consist of memorabilia from Broadway musicals and Broadway In Chicago shows, gift certificates to area bars and restaurants and other one-of-a-kind items. For more information on DEFYING INEQUALITY, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/defyinginequality.

DEFYING INEQUALITY will include different musical performances that support WICKED's theme of acceptance and illuminate the musical's message that people should not be judged on first impressions. Performing on their night off from the musical hit, the WICKED cast members and musicians from the Chicago Company, with fellow performers, recognize that in these divisive times we must come together to support one another's rights throughout the country and around the world.

Doors for DEFYING INEQUALITY will open at 7 p.m. General admission is $30. Tickets for premium seating near the stage are available for $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling (312) 559-1212 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. To make an online contribution, visit www.prideagenda.org/pride/donate and donate to the Empire State Pride Agenda; donors should note DEFYING INEQUALITY in the "Comment" section to ensure that their donation is distributed to DEFYING INEQUALITY.

The Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide LGBT civil rights and advocacy organization. Their mission is to win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and their families. Through their education, organizing and advocacy programs, Empire State Pride Agenda works toward creating a broadly diverse alliance of LGBT people and their allies in government, communities of faith, labor, all sectors of the workforce and other social justice movements to achieve equality for LGBT New Yorkers and the broader goals of social, racial and economic justice.

Founded in 1998, Equality California (EQCA) celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, commemorating a decade of building a state of equality in California. In the past 10 years, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Working in partnership with California's LGBT Legislative Caucus, EQCA is committed to building a better future for all Californians by protecting youth, strengthening families and empowering communities. Each year at the Capitol, EQCA monitors thousands of bills and leads the state's efforts to defeat legislation that could have a negative impact on LGBT Californians and their families.

Garden State Equality, New Jersey's LGBT-rights advocacy organization, was founded in 2004. Since then, it has enacted 200 LGBT civil rights laws at the state, county and municipal levels. The laws include 12 expansions of the domestic partnership law from 2004 to 2006; a civil union law in 2006; a law expanding the Law Against Discrimination to include the transgender community in 2006; and in 2008, a statewide law that simultaneously overhauls the state's anti-bullying law, expands the state's hate crimes law to encompass the transgender community, and toughens up the entire hate crimes law to strengthen the fight against all bias-motivated violence. Also in 2008, New Jersey became only the second state in the United States, after California, to mandate paid family leave to employees who need to provide care for their same-sex partners.

The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force (VFMTF) is a non-profit organization committed to gaining civil marriage equality for same-sex couples in Vermont. VFMTF formed in 1996 as a coalition of individuals and associations in Vermont who support the freedom for same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages. VFMTF works throughout the state to educate Vermonters about the importance of civil marriage equality for same-sex couples and their families.