Tonight’s Show
Hosted By: Julie Halston Broadway’s Tootsie, Gypsy, You Can’t Take It with You, TV’s Sex and the City
Jelani Alladin Frozen, Hercules, TV’s Fellow Travelers Hannah Cruz Chess, Suffs, The Connector, Hamilton
Danny Drewes
Pretty Woman: The Musical, films Wicked and Wicked: For Good
Christine Ebersole Two-time Tony Award winner, 42nd Street, Grey Gardens, TV’s Bob Hearts
Abishola
Daniel Emmet American tenor and America’s Got Talent finalist
Kecia Lewis
Hell’s Kitchen (Tony Award Winner), Children of a Lesser God, Once on This Island
Kelsie Watts
Broadway’s Six (iHeart Radio Music Awards Nomination), TV’s The Voice
Credits
Director
Carl Andress
Casting
Peter Van Dam, CSA
The TRC Company
Hair / Makeup
Jordan Garcia
Andrew Gippetti
Nathan Johnson
Musical Director / Piano
Christopher McGovern
Guitar
Micah Burgess Bass
Michael O’Brien
Drums
Drew Bastian
Stylist
Charles Schoonmaker
Production Coordinator
Cameron Fleck
Stage Manager
Joey Paradise
Assistant Stage Manager
Nora Brigid Monahan
Produced by Carl Andress
D. Michael Dvorchak
Sue Frost
Julie Halston
Ed Windels
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Dear Friends,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 16th Annual Broadway Belts for PFF! Tonight promises to be one of the most uplifting and meaningful evenings of the year, as some of Broadway’s most extraordinary talents raise their voices on behalf of people living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD).
This event is truly one of a kind. It will make you laugh, it may move you to tears, and above all,
it will leave you with hope. Each performance reflects our shared belief that together, we can close the gap between today and the day a cure for pulmonary fibrosis is found. That belief, and your presence here tonight, is what makes this evening so powerful.
The entire PF community is deeply grateful to PF advocate, longstanding member of the PFF Board of Directors, and Tony Awardwinning actress and comedienne, Julie Halston, whose passion and dedication have helped make Broadway Belts for PFF! the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s single largest annual fundraiser.
Julie and her team – Carl Andress, Christopher McGovern, D. Michael Dvorchak, Ed, Windels, and Sue Frost– are the heart of this event. Their tireless commitment to raising awareness and funding critical research reflects the very best of advocacy in action.
Tonight, we are also honored to recognize a remarkable member of our community, Dave Steffy, recipient of the 2026 Ralph Howard Legacy Award. Profoundly affected by pulmonary fibrosis after losing his father, brother, and uncle to the disease, Dave transformed personal loss into purpose. Through his service on the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Board of Directors and his generous philanthropic
support, Dave has strengthened patient support, advanced scientific collaboration, and accelerated the Foundation’s mission to drive research toward improved treatments, and, ultimately, a cure. His leadership honors his family’s legacy while offering hope to countless families affected by PF.
Thank you for being here tonight and for your unwavering support of the PF and ILD community. Because of your generosity, we are moving closer to a future without pulmonary fibrosis. Enjoy the show!
Scott Staszak President and CEO
Leading Role
Supporting Role
Ensemble Member
Chorus Line
The PFF Is Me. We are energized and thrilled to present The PFF is ME, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2030. Read now
Thank you, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation for your unwavering commitment to finding a cure and giving hope and support to those afflicted.
A very special Thank You to Julie Halston, Broadway Belts and the caring and talented Broadway Community on this 16th Anniversary of bringing us together to find solutions to the impact of pulmonary fibrosis on people. A cure is possible, we must persevere.
We remember our dear friend, Ralph Howard.
Doug and Gay Lane Charitable Foundation
A special Thank You
to our retiring Board members:
Terence Hales 10 years of service
David McNinch 10 years of service
We appreciate your leadership, dedication, and commitment to bettering the lives of patients and their families. Bravo!
With admiration, The PFF Board of Directors
What is pulmonary fibrosis?
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF for short) is a disease process that causes lung scarring. This scarring of the lungs blocks the movement of oxygen into the bloodstream.
PF isn’t just one disease. It’s a family of more than 200 different lung diseases that all look similar. The PF family of lung diseases is part of an even larger group of diseases called interstitial lung diseases (also known as ILD).
Interstitial lung diseases include all the diseases that cause inflammation and/ or scarring in the part of the lungs called the air sacs (alveoli), and the tissue surrounding the air sacs. Some interstitial lung diseases don’t cause lung scarring. When an ILD does include scarring in the lung, we call it pulmonary fibrosis.
Shortness of breath
Persistent
cough Fatigue Available online! PF Basics: Info for newly diagnosed patients
In our online program, we walk you through everything you need to know about pulmonary fibrosis through a series of six modules. To get started, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org/basics
In tribute to
Michael Kuchwara
Broadway Belts for PFF! began 16 years ago as a tribute to beloved Associated Press (AP) Theater Critic, Michael Kuchwara, after he succumbed to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in May 2010. Kuchwara was known for his kindness, generosity, and easyging personality.
He had a devout love of theater, especially musical theater, from a very young age. During his 40 year career with the AP and with his appointment to the national theater desk in 1984, he reviewed nearly every production that came through New York as well as many regional arenas, and his work appeared in thousands of papers and on websites around the world.
Illustration by Justin “Squigs” Robertson
Ralph Howard
Ralph Howard was a renowned radio personality and anchorman who is best known for his coverage of the tragedies of 9/11 and his work on The Howard Stern Show for Sirius XM. He adored his career in broadcasting and worked to educate, mentor, and inspire younger colleagues in the field. Howard was also very active in his community, serving on his co-op board, block association and community board, and volunteering at museums, The Theatre Development Fund, and Lincoln Center. Ralph and his wife, Julie Halston, were founding partners of Broadway Belts for PFF! and became leading advocates
for the PF community after his own battle with IPF. He received a life-extending lung transplant in 2010 and passed due to complications from the disease in August 2018.
The Ralph Howard Legacy Award
Ralph’s endless curiosity about the world and his direct and generous engagement with it inspired us to create The Ralph Howard Legacy Award. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the pulmonary fibrosis community and who embody Ralph’s mission of fostering and supporting talent through mentorship, opportunity, and education. The inaugural award was presented at Broadway Belts for PFF! in 2019 and will continue to be an integral part of the event as we honor Ralph and the incredible achievements and generosity of the recipients each year.
The Ralph Howard Legacy Award
David Steffy
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is honored to present the 2026 Ralph Howard Legacy Award to David Steffy, in recognition of his unwavering commitment to advancing awareness, research, and philanthropic support for the pulmonary fibrosis community.
David’s advocacy is deeply personal. After losing his father, uncle, and brother to pulmonary fibrosis, he chose to channel his unimaginable loss into purposeful action.
His dedication reflects a long-term commitment to improving outcomes for individuals and families affected by this life-threatening disease.
As a member of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Board of Directors for many years, David worked to strengthen patient support, elevate awareness, and encourage scientific collaboration across the field. His leadership has significantly contributed to the Foundation’s mission to accelerate research and transform care.
In addition to his philanthropic support of the PFF, David has supported pioneering pulmonary fibrosis research at the University of California, Los Angeles, investing in scientists focused on developing new treatments with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
His commitment honors his family’s legacy while helping to advance critical scientific discovery.
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is grateful for David Steffy’s enduring commitment and leadership. His dedication stands as both a tribute to those lost and a beacon of hope for the future. David’s generosity exemplifies the purpose and spirit of the Ralph Howard Legacy Award.
Congratulations to David on this welldeserved recognition! We are proud to honor his contributions this evening!
The PFF Community Registry is a series of surveys for all who have been impacted by PF. Knowledge is the first step in understanding how to positively help all who are impacted by these diseases, and your responses to our surveys can help researchers get closer to a cure. I know the power community has. And if we’re all able to come together and join this registry to offer our insights, that is where the real power lies. We need all of the voices to be able to answer the questions that we have.
Samantha Kagel Caregiver
The Hales Family Foundation is proud to support Broadway Belts for PFF! in memory of our biggest star, Thomas E. Hales.
Ralph Howard Legacy Award 2024 Honoree
Congratulations
JULIE HALSTON
Thank you for your efforts to improve the quality of life for PF patients.
Love, Daryl
Congratulations to Ralph Howard Legacy Award honoree David Steffy and the entire PFF team for your wonderful work!
And brava to our dear friend, Julie Halston, on the 16th Broadway Belts — over $4 million raised and so much progress in the fight against PF! Your dedication to the cause is inspiring!
With love and admiration, Larry Kanter and Shelly London
P.J. & Sonal Kamani
Sonal and PJ Kamani
and the entire Kamani and Parekh families are proud to support Broadway Belts and the PFF in Tribute to our dearly departed
Sarla Kamani
Sudha Parekh
Ashwin Kamani
Kiran Parekh
Biren Parekh
On behalf of current and former PFF Board members, we want to congratulate Dave Steffy for receiving the Ralph Howard Legacy Award. Dave was a member of the PFF Board from 2013 to 2017, Treasurer of the Board beginning in 2014, and Chair of the finance committee from 2016 to 2017. It was Dave’s steadfast financial leadership that both allowed PFF to dramatically grow to its current impact on the community today while also never putting the organization at risk of losing its critical role in the community.
We want to express our gratitude to Dave and the Steffy family for his time, vision, and financial support over the years.
David McNinch
Former PFF Chair and Board Member
A heartfelt
Thank You
Bill Butler
Dot Coyle
Gary Gersh
Christopher J. Hanke
Michelle Kittrell
The PFF Board of Directors
Eva Price
Justin “Squigs” Robertson
Danny Whitman
The presenters wish to express our gratitude to the the following organizations:
ACTOR’S EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA through Theater Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.
A special thanks to tonight’s performers who have so generously donated their time and talents.
Our Mission
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is committed to accelerating research, empowering our community, and transforming care so that everyone with pulmonary fibrosis can live a better life. Our ultimate goal is to find a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org Support Us Scan to make a donation. Follow Us
