On May 23, 2023, acclaimed storytelling nonprofit The Moth held their annual fundraising gala, Full Bloom: The 2023 Moth Ball at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers and honored award-winning comedian and longtime Moth friend and storyteller, Hasan Minhaj.
André De Shields and The Moth’s Artistic Director Catherine Burns. Photo by Lia Chang
I attended the gala with Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winning Broadway legend and Moth storyteller André De Shields, who was resplendent in his “Tetris” suit and “Hermes” boots. On April 25, 2022, The Moth celebrated their 25th year with a Broadway debut at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The Hadestown star, one of the featured storytellers at the Walter Kerr, shared, “When Iris Eyes were Smiling,” inspired by his sister and muse, Iris. Click here to listen to his story.
Nancy Ma, André De Shields and Lia Chang
Neil Gaiman. Photo by Lia Chang
Neil Gaiman. Photo by Lia Chang
Neil Gaiman paid tribute to Catherine Burns, Artistic Director of The Moth, who is leaving The Moth to pursue her own creative endeavors after 21 years.
A guest, André De Shields and The Moth’s Artistic Director Catherine Burns. Photo by Lia Chang
The Moth’s Executive Director Sarah Haberman writes, “She has been the heart and soul of The Moth since she stepped in the door and has been its artistic guiding light ever since. Thanks to her efforts, The Moth has risen from a small group of people around a card table to a leading cultural institution.”
Yacouba Sissoko and Rita Brent at the Full Bloom: The 2023 Moth Ball Honoring Hasan Minhaj at Pier 60 on May 23, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Lia Chang
Rita Brent hosted Full Bloom: The 2023 Moth Ball Honoring Hasan Minhaj at Pier 60 on May 23, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Lia Chang
Rita Brent hosted Full Bloom: The 2023 Moth Ball Honoring Hasan Minhaj at Pier 60 on May 23, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Lia Chang
Rita Brent hosted Full Bloom: The 2023 Moth Ball Honoring Hasan Minhaj at Pier 60 on May 23, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Lia Chang
Comedian and Musician Rita Brent hosted the evening which featured a diverse in-person slate of Moth storytellers including Chiwoza Bandawe, Ianna Banfield, Tomas Davila, and Oanh Ngo Usadi.
Moth storyteller Chiwoza Bandawe. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Ianna Banfield. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Tomas Davila. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Tomas Davila. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Tomas Davila. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Oanh Ngo Usadi. Photo by Lia Chang
Moth storyteller Oanh Ngo Usadi. Photo by Lia Chang
Stories by GrandSLAMmers Kafayat Babajide, Ryan Roe, Oscar Saavedera and Mike Wang were shared via video.
Padma Lakshmi. Photo by Lia Chang
The Moth’s Storyteller of the Year Award recipient Hasan Minhaj, who was unavailable to attend the gala, was represented by Padma Lakshmi and his wife, Beena Patel.
Beena Patel. Photo by Lia Chang
Padma Lakshmi and Beena Patel. Photo by Lia Chang
“Hasan has one of the warmest and most authentic voices in the media. His long-form comedy is groundbreaking and rooted in personal storytelling,” says Catherine Burns, Artistic Director of The Moth. “From Homecoming King to The King’s Jester, he is a bright light, a master storyteller who makes us laugh while revealing deep truths about ourselves and the world. We’re honored to celebrate him at The Moth Ball this year.”
Hasan Minaj joins an impressive list of past Moth award-winners including David Byrne, Regina King, Kemp Powers, Padma Lakshmi, Roxane Gay, Martin Scorsese, Zadie Smith, Roz Chast, Calvin Trillin, Aziz Ansari, Salman Rushdie, Carrie Brownstein, and Anna Deavere Smith.
André De Shields and Hasna Muhammad. Photo by Lia Chang
Neil Gaiman and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Saadiqa Kumanyika and Chenjerai Kumanyika. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Saadiqa Kumanyika and Chenjerai Kumanyika. Photo by Lia Chang
Mr. Christian, RJ Christian, Mrs. Christian and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Amber Iman and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Suzanne Rust and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Suzanne Rust and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Carmen Rita Wong. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Carmen Rita Wong. Photo by Lia Chang
Eric André and Suzanne Rust. Photo by Lia Chang
Suzanne Rust, André De Shields and Carmen Rita Wong. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Dr. Shari Lusskin. Photo by Lia chang
The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. For 25 years, The Moth has presented over 50,000 stories, told live and without notes to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth conducts eight ongoing programs: The Moth Mainstage, which tours internationally, has featured stories by Elizabeth Gilbert, Hasan Minhaj, Kathleen Turner, Malcolm Gladwell, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, John Turturro, Molly Ringwald, Boots Riley, Krista Tippett, Damon Young, Mike Birbiglia, Rosanne Cash, Danyel Smith and Tig Notaro, as well as an astronaut, a pickpocket, a hotdog eating champion and hundreds more; The Moth StorySLAM program, which conducts open mic storytelling competitions in 28 cities: 26 in the US plus Melbourne, AU and London, UK; The Moth Community Program, which offers storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to adults who are too often overlooked by the mainstream media; The Moth Education Program, which brings the thrill of personal storytelling to high schools and colleges in New York, and educators around the world; The Moth Global Community Program, which develops and elevates true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals in the global south; The Moth Podcast-the 2020 Webby People’s Voice Award Winner for Best Podcast Series-which is downloaded 100 million times a year; MothWorks, which uses the essential elements of Moth storytelling as an empathetic communication tool; and the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour which, produced by Jay Allison at Atlantic Public Media and presented by PRX, The Public Radio Exchange, airs weekly on over 575 public radio stations nationwide. To date, The Moth has published four critically acclaimed books: The New York Times Best Seller The Moth: 50 True Stories (Hachette Books, September 2013), All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown (Crown Archetype, March 2017) – described as “wonderful” by NYT’s Michiko Kakutani and New York Times Best Sellers Occasional Magic: True Stories of Defying the Impossible (Crown Archetype, March 2019) and How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth (Crown Archetype, April 2022). The Moth has released its first card deck, A Game or Storytelling (Clarkson-Potter). The Moth’s second podcast, Grown, is out now on all major streaming platforms. Learn more at themoth.org.
Lia Chang. Photo by Kalin Ivanov
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer, activist, documentarian and an Award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is also the host and Executive Producer of BACKSTAGE PASS WITH LIA CHANG, an Arts and Entertainment and Lifestyle program that airs on Sundays at 1:30pm and 6:30pm on FIOS 34, RCN 83, Spectrum 56/1996 and streams on MNN2. Lia was recently profiled on Asian American Life. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. www.liachang.com www.liachangphotography.com
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