Tony Award-Winning Songwriting Team To Receive Ockie Award At Bucks Co. Gala

DOYLESTOWN, PA – The nonprofit Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center will honor Tony Award-winning songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen
Flaherty with its prestigious Ockie Award at its fourth annual "Something Wonderful Gala" on Sunday, October 4, at The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm in Holicong.

Fresh off their 2026 Tony Award win for Best Revival of a Musical for "Ragtime," Ahrens and Flaherty will be recognized for embodying Oscar Hammerstein II's enduring values of optimism, empathy, and mentorship.

Named for Hammerstein's childhood nickname, the Ockie Award honors individuals, organizations, or nonprofits whose educational, humanitarian, or philanthropic work reflects his remarkable legacy.

"The Tony Award-winning revival of Ragtime is a powerful reminder that musicals can inspire tolerance, optimism, and hope," said Gregory Kammerer, Hammerstein Museum Board member. "Those values were central to Oscar Hammerstein's work, and they shine through Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's songwriting, making them fitting recipients of this honor."

The elegant evening will feature cocktails, a gourmet three-course dinner, live auction, and an intimate concert by Tony and Grammy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Liz Callaway.

Linda Leffingwell Paton serves as gala chair, with three-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall serving as honorary chair. Broadway performer Jenny Lee Stern will serve as master of ceremonies.

Proceeds from the gala will support the restoration of Highland Farm in Doylestown, Oscar Hammerstein II's longtime home and creative epicenter, as well as the
museum's educational programs and general operating expenses.

The gala is presented with generous support from the Zazyczny Foundation and Café with Soul. Liz Callaway's appearance is underwritten by Hammerstein Museum Board
member Gregory Kammerer and his husband, Fred White.
Individual tickets are $500. Sponsorships and reserved tables, each offering a variety of benefits, are also available.

For tickets and sponsorship information,
visit hammersteinmuseum.org/2026gala. The Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center is a registered nonprofit organization, and a portion of each ticket
purchase is tax-deductible.