THE EVENING’S PROGRAM

To kick off the programmatic portion of the evening — set against stunning sunset views of the majestic San Jacinto mountains — Tony Award nominee (and Drama Desk and Obie winner) Saycon Sengbloh will perform an opening set prior to event co-chairs and DAP Health Board Members Kevin Bass, Lauri Kibby, and Scott Nevins officially welcoming the audience. They’ll then cede the spotlight to Brinkman, whose speech will address the future of health care in the Coachella Valley and the role the organization will play in guaranteeing health care access to every member of our desert community.

Returning host Michael Urie — a veteran of stage, TV, and film who currently stars alongside the legendary Harrison Ford in the new Apple TV+ hit comedy series “Shrinking” — will then shepherd the evening, which will include the bestowing of honors onto Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, its board of directors, and its CEO Dr. Conrado E. Bárzaga (who are jointly receiving the DAP Health Humanitarian Award) and fashion icon and philanthropist Donna Karan (who will be granted the DAP Health Equity Award).

Between those two tributes, Nick Adams — who not only originated the role of Adam/Felicia in the Tony-winning Broadway music “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” but co-starred in Hulu’s queerthemed comedy “Fire Island” — will regale the crowd with his crooning. Leading up to the live auction and live appeal, helmed by veteran auctioneer Dale Johannes, two patient videos that exemplify the lifesaving work done by DAP Health will be shown.

Once Urie wraps up the program, headline entertainer Darren Criss — the Emmy-, Golden Globe-, and Screen Actors Guild Awardwinning star of such pop culture sensations as “Glee,” “American Buffalo,” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story — will delight the audience with an eclectic musical set. (Read more about Criss in the Q&A, below.)

Lastly, what would The Chase be without its infamous, rollicking afterparty, which will see DJ Modgirl return to her turntables to usher guests onto the dance floor before the night comes to a close?

For more information about this sure-to-be sensational soirée — or to procure tickets — please visit daphealth.org/thechase.

Darren Criss — the 36-year-old “Glee” alum who won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for playing gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” — may be making his professional desert debut when he headlines the 2023 The Chase for DAP Health, but he’s no stranger to the Coachella Valley. Since he reports he has a “significant amount of family in the Palm Desert,” he’s somewhat of a regular. “I’ve got all my favorite spots, let’s put it that way.” He even made it to fellow performer Harry Styles’ last North American “Love On Tour” stop (and impromptu birthday bash) on February 1 at the new Acrisure Arena.