Independent Arts News Reporting Hammerstein Museum Presents "Some Enchanted Evening" Gala & Will Feature Two-Time Tony Nominee, Kate Baldwin in Concert
Pictured Above: Two-Time Tony Nominee, Kate Baldwin. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
Broadway Comes to Bucks County for an Elegant Evening Benefiting the Restoration of Highland Farm and Theatre Education Programs
Doylestown, PA – The nonprofit Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center will present “Some Enchanted Evening,” an exclusive gala on October 19, 2025 at The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm in Holicong, Pennsylvania. The highlight of the glamorous evening, which features cocktails, a three-course gourmet dinner, and auction, will be a concert by two-time Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin performing songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
KATE BALDWIN starred as Irene Molloy opposite Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce and Gavin Creel in the hit Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!, for which she was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Circle awards. But it was her starring role in the 2009 revival of Yip Harburg’s and Burton Lane’s hit classic musical Finian’s Rainbow which drew Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Circle Award nominations and put her on the map as “a real musical theatre star” (New York Post). She originated the role of Sandra Bloom in Big Fish on Broadway and has appeared in the Broadway casts of The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Wonderful Town. Kate has appeared in concert with numerous symphonies, including the New York Pops, Boston Pops, National Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and the American Songbook series at Lincoln Center.
Also at the gala, Hammerstein Museum will present its first “Ockie Award,” honoring an individual, group, or nonprofit organization who embodies Oscar Hammerstein’s optimism, empathy, and legacy of mentorship through education, humanitarian, or philanthropic work. “Ockie” was a nickname for Oscar Hammerstein II used by the lyricist’s close friends and family throughout his life.
Pictured Above: Two-Time Tony Nominee, Kate Baldwin. Photo Credit: Contributed.
The recipient of the inaugural Ockie Award will be Ted Chapin, former President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization and a member of the museum’s Honorary Advisory Board. During his tenure at R&H, Chapin oversaw eight Tony Award-winning Broadway revivals and several television specials. He serves on many boards including the American Theatre Wing, New York City Center, the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, and was the head of the Advisory Committee for the Encores! series.
The October 19 gala supports the museum and theatre education center’s restoration of Highland Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania – Oscar Hammerstein II’s primary residence and creative epicenter – and the museum’s educational programs and general operating expenses. The nonprofit has achieved significant milestones this year, including the recent acquisition of Hammerstein’s iconic standing desk into its collections. Donated by Hammerstein grandchildren Melinda Mathias Walsh and Peter Mathias, the desk was placed on public display for the first time anywhere this August at the museum. The nonprofit’s growing educational programming includes the International Youth Solo Contest, the Bucks County Youth Playwriting Contest, and the Getting to Know Oscar Hammerstein II traveling workshop.
The evening will include silent and live auctions featuring curated experiences including a Broadway Show Package with tickets and a backstage tour for Hamilton, and an Enchanted Getaway to The French Manor resort in the Poconos.
The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm, the venue for the gala, is the former estate of George S. Kaufman. Oscar Hammerstein is known to have spent time with Kaufman here, where writers and celebrities of the time would often come for dinner or for the weekend.
The “Some Enchanted Evening” gala is being presented with generous support from Café with Soul. Kate Baldwin’s appearance is underwritten by Hammerstein Museum Board member Gregory Kammerer. Individual tickets for this not-to-be-missed fundraising event are $500 per person. Tables and sponsorships are offered with a variety of benefits. Visit the Hammerstein Museum website at https://www.hammersteinmuseum.org/some-enchanted-evening-gala for more information. Hammerstein Museum is a registered non-profit organization, and a portion of ticket purchases are tax-deductible.
Pictured Above: Ted Chapin, former President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization and a member of the museum’s Honorary Advisory Board. Photo Credit: Contributed.
Ted Chapin is the former President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization and a member of the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Centers’s Honorary Advisory Board. During his tenure at R&H, Chapin oversaw eight Tony Award-winning Broadway revivals and several television specials. He serves on many boards including the American Theatre Wing, New York City Center, the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, and was the head of the Advisory Committee for the Encores! series. He has appeared on many musical theatre documentaries and television programs, hosted the NJTV program American Songbook at NJPAC, and has lectured at colleges and universities from Yale to Duke. When his book, “Everything was Possible – the Birth of the Musical ‘Follies’” was published, it won an ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award and a Special Jury Prize for Distinguished Achievement by the Theatre Library Association.
ABOUT THE OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN MUSEUM AND THEATRE EDUCATION CENTER:
Dubbed the “Birthplace of the Modern American Musical,” Highland Farm was Hammerstein’s home and creative epicenter for the last 20 years of his life. It is where the Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration was born and where Hammerstein composed the lyrics for many of their works, including Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Remarkably, at Highland Farm Oscar met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim, who has said “In one afternoon [at Highland Farm], I learned more about songwriting than most people do in a lifetime.” Over 75 Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced back to Highland Farm.
The nonprofit’s mission is to honor the Broadway legend’s groundbreaking work as a lyricist, librettist, mentor, and humanitarian and to educate and inspire generations of creators and theatre-lovers, with special opportunities for diverse and under-served communities.
Highland Farm’s restoration will commence with the porch and balcony, which has already begun with the generous assistance of Doylestown historic architectural firm, Period Architecture LTD and Providence Engineering, Other urgent projects include replacing the roof of the house and upgrading the climate control system. Combined costs for these initial projects are expected to be several hundred thousand dollars.
Public tours of Highland Farm are offered Friday to Sunday. Advance tickets are required. Private and group tours can be arranged by appointment. Information and the complete tour schedule can be found at hammersteinmuseum.org/tourinfo.
