PHOTO FLASH: Darius de Haas, Lindsay Mendez, Julia Murney at NYCLU’s Broadway Stands Up for Freedom Benefit

On Monday, July 23, the New York Civil Liberties Union (The New York State affiliate of the ACLU) held its annual benefit, Broadway Stands Up for Freedom, at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts. Seth Rudetsky hosted the evening, which was directed by Daniel Goldstein with musical direction by Rudetsky.. Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner gave the opening remarks as honorary chairman for the event.

The concert featured Uzo Aduba, Nikki Renée Daniels, Darius de Haas, Lindsay Mendez, Julia Murney, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra, Ripley Sobo, The Broadway Boys, and founding performer Liana Stampur with Clinton Curtis.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the NYCLU’s youth programs, including its work with LGBT teenagers; its Teen Activist Project, which engages New York City teens as organizers and peer educators on civil rights and civil liberties issues; and its work to stop overly aggressive policing and zero-tolerance discipline in the city’s public schools.