Hasty Pudding Theatricals

HPT 157 to Donate $12,000 for Cultural Enrichment
into Cambridge Public Schools

On Thursday, December 16th, at 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Fitzgerald Theatre, 459 Broadway, Harvard College's Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT) will donate $12,000 to the "Hasty Pudding Theatricals Fund for Cultural Enrichment" in Cambridge Public Schools (CPS). The fund, which was launched last year, will provide opportunities for students to attend cultural events in the Boston area. To raise the money, two cast members in costume collected money at the rear of the theater after every show of the 156 th production, As the Word Turns. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has had a long involvement in service. Every production designates a "Charity Night," where proceeds go to charity. In the past, this show has benefited the Philip Brooks House Association and Boston Children's Hospital. Two years ago, HPT led a team of its own cast and crew in the Walk for Hunger.

Pudding History

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals is the oldest theatrical company in the United States , dating back to 1795. Annually, it produces a nationally recognized production and lauds two internationally renowned celebrities as its Man and Woman of the year, including Tom Cruise and Ella Fitzgerald. Many iconic Americans have passed through its ranks, from Theodore Roosevelt and J.P Morgan to Alan Jay Lerner and Jack Lemmon. With its national media attention, the Theatricals annual productions have evolved into spectacles beyond anything ever envisioned by the founders of the original secret society. Undergraduates now receive guidance from theatrical veterans in all aspects of the production, and its sets and costumes rival Broadway shows. Still, the show remains at its essence a no-holds-barred student-written musical comedy, with its all-male cast playing both the male and female roles. Women are involved in all other aspects of the show, from technical staff, to the band, to authoring and producing the show. Thus, the Pudding remains at heart an organization driven by the enthusiasm and exuberance of its undergraduates. Our 157 th season continues in this long and illustrious tradition that can only be described as uniquely Pudding.

Event Agenda

7:30 p.m.

7:35 p.m.

The event will begin in the Cambridge Rindge and Latin theatre when Judith Contrucci, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for CPS, introduces the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

Romina Garber and Charles Worthington, Producers of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, will present the $12,000 check. Two HPT cast members, donning their costumes, will interact with the audience.

7: 45 p.m.

The high school's annual Winter Music Concert will take place, featuring the CRLS Chorus, Vocal Ensemble, Gospel Choir, Band, String Orchestra, and Jazz Ensembles.

Note: The mayor of Cambridge, who attended the event last year, may also speak, pending on his availability.

Contact Info:

Claire Friedman

HPT 157 Press Manager

917-364-9565

cfriedm@fas.harvard.edu