Wesleyan on Broadway Lombardi Raises Funds for Financial Aid, Athletics

[youtube width=”640″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLu1ukpooyA[/youtube]

Wesleyan scored a winning touchdown with a Nov. 16 benefit presentation of the new Broadway play Lombardi before a sell-out crowd of nearly 700 alumni, staff, faculty, students and friends at Manhattan’s Circle in the Square Theater. The event, part of the Wesleyan on Broadway series, raised $312,000 for financial aid and athletics.

View the entire Lombardi photo album online here.

Directed by Thomas Kail ’99, Lombardi portrays key moments in the life of legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. Kail previously directed the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, which was created and composed by Wesleyan contemporary Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02. Lombardi stars Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years) as Lombardi and Judith Light (Who’s the Boss?, Ugly Betty) as his wife.

After the play, Wesleyan president Michael Roth interviewed Kail before alumni, parents, students, friends, faculty and staff. Kail spoke about his work as a theater director and his contributions to the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme, which he co-created with fellow Wesleyan alumni.