Audra McDonald, George Salazar, and Joshua Colley Will Headline STICKS & STONES Benefit

Grammy & Emmy-winning composer & conductor John McDaniel and lyricist/librettist Scott Logsdon will present an online highlights concert of their new musical, STICKS & STONES to be broadcast in October. Coinciding with October's National Bullying Prevention Month, the virtual feature will serve as a benefit to youth wellness with proceeds going to support Born This Way Foundation.

STICKS & STONES adapts the Biblical story of David and his triumph over Goliath to address teen bullying. The musical was recently presented in a private industry reading in Nashville and was the winner of the 2017 Florida Theatrical Association's New Musical Discovery series.

Joshua Colley (LES MISERABLES, NEWSIES) will star as David. George Salazar (BE MORE CHILL, GODSPELL) will appear as King Saul. Six-time Tony Award, and Emmy & Grammy winner Audra McDonald will make a special guest appearance as Nizevet, David's mother. The majority of the cast will be rounded out with 96 young performers from across the country cast via video submissions.

Born This Way Foundation, founded in 2012 by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting youth mental health and working with young people to build a kinder and braver world. The aspirational and preventive work of the Foundation helps validate young people's unique experiences and connect them to the resources they need to support their wellness.

"We have a unique opportunity here to engage and work with kids from across the country whose shows and summer camps have been canceled. For so many, the arts are a vital lifeline. Scott came up with the idea of doing our show as a concert to give kids, from all over, a chance to be part of a show that addresses isolation and overcoming negative conditioning." said McDaniel. "Based on my experience with the Playbill Pride Spectacular in June, I immediately saw how we could assemble an inspiring cast and deliver our message of hope in order to benefit a foundation that works to validate the emotions of young people and provide the resources they need to not only survive, but thrive."

The creators are actively seeking 96 performers between the ages of 16 and 23 of all ethnicities, body types, and gender identities and are very interested in performers with disabilities, including D/deaf actors who use ASL. All auditioning should look like high school students.

A detailed casting breakdown with specifics on how performers can submit can be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/sticks-stones-concert-casting-

There is no fee to audition and video submissions will be accepted between now and August 21st.