Friends, colleagues, and fans will gather to honor the memory of the late Broadway actor and singer George Best Costacos on Monday, March 16, 2009 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Actors’ Equity Audition Center, 165 West 46th Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10036. Steve Ross, Seth Weinstein and Lynn Manuel are among those who will commemorate the work of this gifted artist by performing some of George’s best-known and beloved songs. The event is open to the public.
Beside his great talent as a performer, George was a proud and very active member of Actor’s Equity. There is no more suitable place to remember George, who worked tirelessly on the front line during the union’s struggles on behalf of actors’ rights. His passion and fighting spirit were recognized by the French newspaper ‘Le Monde’ and the ‘New York Times.’
George made news as the only Actors' Equity member invited from the USA to perform in the Athens 2004 Olympics Opening Ceremony. His image was issued on the official commemorative materials and he was commended on the Congressional Statement in Washington DC. George was invited twice to participate live on PBS for The Greek Americans. He is the International Patron of the George Best Foundation in the UK.
George’s love of life, dedication to his work, and humanitarian spirit were memorable to all who met him. To honor his memory and in recognition of his talent and life’s work, a series of benefit concerts is planned with renown artists from the United States and Europe. The proceeds will support the Actors’ Equity Foundation as well as brain cancer research. Mr. Panayiotis Koukoulis, the mayor of Aegina, Greece, will name a street after him. In addition, the island will host an annual George Best Costacos Memorial Marathon with runners from Europe and the United States. This is the first time an Actors’ Equity member will be honored this way in Greece. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Karolos Papoulias will also honor George Best Costacos’ memory with a posthumous award.
George Costacos received countless kudos for diverse and prolific creativity as an actor and a writer, "carving the steady and significant course of a dynamic artist who has bewitched with his multifaceted talent, knows how to magnetize the lens of current events and puts his signature on every aspect of his work" -- to quote a few of the glowing reviews in the abundant international press.
With his passionate sense of drama and "boundless energy," George Costacos was dubbed by theatrical leaders and press alike as "an unencumbered spirit with a mission," "an artistic chameleon," "a particularly distinguished actor," "a genuine child of the theater" with "a noteworthy career of quality work and talent that is necessary, if not indispensable." Esquire magazine called George Costacos "the most important Greek of Broadway."
Additional highlights of George Costacos’ career include an appearance at The Metropolitan Room on July 21st 2008, performances with Steve Ross in: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The 45th Street Theater, The National Arts Club, and Lincoln Center's Bruno Walter Auditorium in the Library for the Performing Arts (the last two also with Julie Wilson). George's critically acclaimed musical Greek Gifts premiered and was recorded with musical direction by Seth Weinstein, it has been performed in benefit concert sponsored by the New York Foundation, and a version with choir at Dicapo Theatre under musical direction by Broadway maestro and music director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra Constantine Kitsopoulos -- who previously directed George in Axion Esti. at Merkin Concert Hall. Other appearances include City Center, Alexander Hamilton Auditorium, Hudson River Museum, Barnes & Noble, Sardi's, Don't Tell Mama, Eighty Eight's, The Greek Cultural Center (sponsored by the NY State Foundation for the Arts) and landmark theatres all along the East Coast.
George Costacos died suddenly at the age of 44 in Hanover, Germany of complications from a brain tumor. The handsome singer/actor was laid to rest on November 23rd , 2009 on his native island of Aegina,near Athens, with an emotional community outpouring and a funeral attended by his many friends, relatives and neighbors as well as numerous international dignitaries including the Mayor Athens, the German Consul and local officials. His splendid voice was broadcast in the cathedral and streets of Aegina as his funeral procession marched towards his final internment, near his grandparents. "Broadway George" leaves behind many friends and relatives in the US and Greece.
