After a successful inaugural event last year, where Mazzoni Center honored Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz, the LGBTQ+ health and wellness center will once again honor a trailblazer in the community. This time, Trekkies will unite to celebrate at Mazzoni Center Honors George Takei on Nov. 18 at Ensemble Arts’ Marian Anderson Hall in Philadelphia. Emmy and Peabody Award winning broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien will return to host the second-annual benefit show for Mazzoni.
Widely recognized for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the iconic “Star Trek” television and film series, George Takei has built a career as an actor, social justice advocate, social media powerhouse and author. Since the late 1950s, his career has spanned television, film and the Broadway stage. Since publicly coming out in 2005, Takei has become a prominent figure in the LGBTQ+ community, serving as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign’s “Coming Out Project” and cementing his role as a leader and icon.
“Not only am I incredibly honored to be chosen as the recipient of this year’s Mazzoni Center Honors award, but I am also deeply touched to know that the event will have a tangible impact in saving lives in our LGBTQ community, particularly at a time when LGBTQ people are increasingly marginalized and targeted,” Takei said in a statement. “I look forward to joining the community in Philadelphia this November for what I know will be a magical and moving event supporting an extraordinary organization.”
Mazzoni Center Honors George Takei will include several icons from the stage and screen performing musical, dance and spoken-word acts. During a virtual press conference on Oct. 29, a select few stars participating in the event — Grammy winner and actor Dawnn Lewis from “A Different World” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks;” Emmy Award winner Alan Muraoka of “Sesame Street;” Richard Barone, lead singer of the Bongos and producer of Mazzoni Center Honors; Broadway performer Justin Sargent, who currently portrays King George III in the national tour of Hamilton, now in Philadelphia; singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert; musical director Nick Wilders, who will lead a house band including members of Philadelphia Orchestra; and Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute — were on hand to speak about Takei and Mazzoni. O’Brien also provided a pre-recorded statement for the press conference, stating that last year’s Mazzoni Center Honors Stephen Schwartz was one of the highlights of her year.
“This year promises to be incredibly special, not only because of the amazing lineup, but more importantly, because of the opportunity to honor the beloved George Takei, somebody who we’ve all long admired, not only for his contributions to the arts, of course, but just as importantly for his leadership in the LGBTQ community and his passion for building a better and a more just world,” O’Brien said.
Lewis spoke about how she saw herself represented in the diverse cast of “Star Trek” and how Takei epitomized that.
“The work that Mazzoni is doing to create a safe space, to create a space where people are seen, where people are assisted, where people are empowered, where people are inspired is everything in this day and age…And I think George is a perfect face and a representation of that very reality,” she said. “George is a grown man living his absolute truth with love and joy for everyone else who wants to live their absolute truth, and I can’t think of a better ambassador and a better way for me to spend a Monday night.”
Muraoka spoke about how he idolized Takei.
“I was a latch-key kid, so I watched a lot of TV, and George was one of the only Asian-American faces that was playing a role that was masculine…playing a love interest at times, and that was very, very rare on television at that time,” Muraoka said. “And as I was growing up and realized that I wanted to become an actor as well, I really latched on to him as sort of a role model for me moving forward.”
As producer of the second-annual Mazzoni Center Honors event, Barone said he is looking forward to using this event as a way to help people.
“I always look for ways that music and entertainment can help others in a very direct way, and helping the Mazzoni Center with our music and entertainment is such a gift that we’re able to give as entertainers,” Barone said. “So that is one of the reasons I produce shows, and why I perform in shows. [It’s] so we can do something for others in…a very direct way.”
Hours before Sargent traveled to Philadelphia for opening night of “Hamilton,” he spoke about how Takei paved the way for other LGBTQ+ actors. While Takei’s character was not openly gay on the show, Sargent said the actor was still a “pioneer.”
“Now we’ve got Anthony Rapp in ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ [as] the first openly gay character in ‘Star Trek’ history,” Sargent said. “How many years later did it take to get there, right? Anthony’s a good friend of mine, and he’s talked about how much that means to him, and how much George is responsible for that happening, and I think that’s just really beautiful.”
Gilbert held up a Nyota Uhura plush figure he had on his desk to show the press conference attendees before speaking about how diversity affected the way he and his family watched television. They would often watch a show and count the Black people who were on screen and if there were more than two on a particular show, they would tune in again. With “Star Trek,” Gilbert noted the show represented everyone.
“It was someplace to be where people were mixed,” Gilbert said. “It was like a mix of people, and no one pointed anything out [about] what the color of someone was, or anything.
Wilders spoke about this year’s event becoming a reality.
“As soon as everything ended with Stephen Schwartz last year, we got to work,” Wilders said. “I almost felt like we started talking about it before that concert had even happened. So this has been a year in the making, and speaking about all kinds of different people to honor for so many different reasons. And when George Takei came up, it was just such a, ‘Oh, there’s no better person.’ [He’s] somebody that has been on the front lines of ‘Star Trek’ [as well as had] a particularly interesting career in the theater.
Pitts noted his Zoom background, which featured a collection of stars. As chief astronomer of the Franklin Institute, Pitts said his favorite thing to do is to get people interested in the universe and to encourage them to “look up at the night sky.”
“Every one of those [audience members] that’ll be viewing the program that night, are unique individuals in the universe, and are part of the universe, and really are the best expressions of the universe’s creativity in each and every one of us,” Pitts said. “Anything I can do to help press that story forward, especially with somebody as fun and engaging as George, is a great opportunity.”
The star-studded lineup at Mazzoni Center Honors George Takei will also include Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Celia Rose Gooding (Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”); chart-topping recording artists, such as Martha Wash (The Weather Girls) and Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of The Hooters; Broadway performers Reeve Carney, Reanne Acasio and Telly Leung; songwriter Ka-Na; Philadelphia favorite Lauren Hart, known as the greatest anthem singer in NHL history; and Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company BalletX. There will also be a special appearance by screen star Rosario Dawson.
Mazzoni Center Honors George Takei will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 at Marian Anderson Hall, 300 S Broad St. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit mazzonicenter.org/honors.