Following the tragic event that took place at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12, the Broadway and Orlando theatre communities will unite to perform From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Orlando – a healing night of music and dance to honor the 49 victims – on Monday, July 25 at 7:30 pm at the Disney Theatre in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Orlando features song, dance and special appearances from some of the biggest names on Broadway including Chita Rivera (two-time Tony Award winner), Norbert Leo Butz (two-time Tony Award winner), Kelli O’Hara (Tony Award winner), Jessie Mueller (Tony Award winner,currently in Waitress), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Tony Award Winner, currently in Shuffle Along), Carmen Cusack (Bright Star), Andrea McArdle (original Annie), Lillias White (Tony Award winner), Andréa Burns(On Your Feet! The Musical – The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan), Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon), Josh Henry(Shuffle Along), Keala Settle (Waitress), Anika Larsen (recently seen in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical),Justin Sargent (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark), Carrie Manolakos (Mamma Mia!), as well as SiriusXM Broadway hosts Seth Rudetsky and Christine Pedi. Michael J. Moritz (Tony Award Nominee) will serve as Music Director.
Net proceeds raised from the performance (royalties and artist fees waived) by From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Orlando will be donated equally between the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida, Hope and Help Center of Central Florida and Zebra Coalition. A forthcoming CD and DVD of the concert will also be available at www.BroadwayRecords.com, Amazon.com and more, with 100 percent of profits benefitting the three designated non-profit organizations.
Many of the artists participating in From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Orlando gathered at Avatar Studios on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in New York City for a benefit recording of the iconic 1965 song "What the World Needs Now is Love" as part of the Broadway for Orlando charitable initiative. The record reached No. 1 on the iTunes song chart in its first week and broke into the Billboard Top 100 with no commercial radio play.
The Orlando benefit concert is co-produced by Imagine Orlando, LLC (comprised of Tony Award winner Kenny Howard of Florida Theatrical Assoc., Joyce Arbucias of The Imagination House, Andrea Canny of PerformerStuff.com, Chris Yakubchik of Forster Boughman and Lefkowitz), Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley, Michael J. Moritz, Jr. and Broadway Records (Van Dean, president; Tony Award winning/Grammy nominated producer/co-conceiver of the first From Broadway with Love - A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook).
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Orlando is created by Seth Rudetsky, Kenny Howard and James Wesley; directed by Kenny Howard; written by Michael Wanzie with musical direction by Michael J. Moritz. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 8th. Tickets range from $20 to $40 and can be purchased at DrPhillipsCenter.org, by calling 844-513-2014 or in-person at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Box Office located at 445 S. Magnolia Avenue in downtown Orlando.