Interview: Sirius XM's Seth Rudetsky Talks Concert for America

Tickets are on sale now for the March CONCERT FOR AMERICA: STAND UP, SING OUT! Featuring Chita Rivera, Melissa Manchester, Alice Ripley, Ana Gasteyer, the Chicago cast of Hamilton, Sharon Gless, Lynne Jordan, Marya Grandy and Emily Bear, the third edition of CONCERT FOR AMERICA will take place on Monday, March 20 at 8pm at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago (50 E Congress Parkway).

A concert of songs, comedy, and commentary, CONCERT FOR AMERICA is the innovation of Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, who also organized the Broadway For Orlando/What the World Needs Now is Love recording. CONCERT FOR AMERICA: STAND UP, SING OUT! debuted its monthly series to universal acclaim at New York City's The Town Hall on Inauguration Day and performed the second concert there in February.

Proceeds from CONCERT FOR AMERICA: STAND UP, SING OUT! will benefit five national organizations working to protect human rights: Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, The Sierra Club Foundation, NAACP and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

BWW's Kevin Pollack recently chatted with Seth Rudetsky about Concert for America and how important rights are in this day and age.

BWW: Welcome back to Chicago Seth! What do you love most about Chicago?

Seth: Chicago has everything I'm interested in. Theater, music, visual arts and...since my childhood dream was to be a weatherman....I love the crazy wind!

BWW: What inspired you to make Concert for America a monthly concert series?

Seth: Well, it's two fold. James and I wanted to keep raising as much money as possible for these charities and monthly is better than once a year. And secondly, there's a lot of stressful, sad, frustrating stuff going on right now. We strive to make these concerts joyous and uplifting. All the music performances and comedy and celebrity speakers are kind of like a monthly gas station...giving people the energy to keep on fighting for social justice.

BWW: How do you choose the talent for each concert?

Seth: Many ways! We text our celeb friends and ask (Ana Gasteyer, Alice Ripley), we exploit people for connections (emailed Paul Shaffer to get the contact for Martha Wash from The Weather Girls) people contact us (Lynne Jordan was recommended by 1,000 Chicago fans) and we harass agents, publicists and stalk twitter accounts for people whom we think will bring the house down!

BWW: How much do you hope to raise for these charities?

Seth: OMG! Who knows! What we love is that it's not just ticket sales, people donate as they watch the livestream, like a telethon.

BWW: With all the craziness going on in politics right now, theater and music seems to be a safe haven for people. Do you believe that?

Seth: Right now? The arts have always been a safe haven from horrificness. See my childhood diary, ages 8-18!

BWW: You've been hosting on Sirius XM On Broadway for quite a while now. What do you love most about what you get to do every day?

Seth: I love spreading the joy of music, especially to young people. It's so great that kids listen to my channel. We have to create the new generation of Broadway lovers. And I love telling people around the country inside scoop about Broadway: Why a song was cut from a Broadway show, why a lyric was changed, whose wig fell off at the end of Act One (PS that would be Audra during RAGTIME)

BWW: Who's one performer you'd really liked to work with that you haven't gotten to yet?

Seth: Barbra Streisand! She started the high belting trend. Just recently I've met her (she actually came to my show in Los Angeles where i deconstructed her IN FRONT OF HER) but I''m dying to do a show with her. I just started my series at Steppenwolf where I interview stars and have them sing tons of songs. Audra is my first guest. Maybe Barbra could be my second?

BWW: Is everything in Concert for America rehearsed or are there some impromptu performances?

Seth: Well, with me at the piano you never know what's gonna happen. I was doing a show with Sutton Foster and she mentioned that she played Annie as a kid. You know I ran to that piano and made her sing "Tomorrow". So who knows what March 20th will bring!

BWW: What do you hope to convey by putting these concerts on every month?

Seth: I want people to know that they are not alone. There are people all over the world who believe in the arts and helping each other. It's easy to give up and feel defeated, but when you're with an audience of people cheering and screaming when Chita Rivera sings and dances and talks about how the arts must always be supported, you spirit is renewed.

BWW: Tell me what Marriage Equality and LGBTQ rights mean to you?

Seth: I didn't know how it would feel to be married. I had been with James for 6 years when we were finally allowed to do it. Would it just be the same but we'd have a piece of paper? Now that I am, I see what a huge difference it makes. We are officially together. It's such an amazing feeling. The fact that there is any argument against marriage equality is sickening to me. For religious reasons? Not only is there a separation of church and state in this country, there are TONS of religions that allow it. Why do only certain religions get a say? There is not one valid argument against marriage equality. Period. And of course, LGBTQ rights are vitally important. Every time a politician speaks against them, a child hears it and has to struggle with self hatred. The rate of teen suicide would decrease dramatically if there were complete equal rights for LGBTQ people. Our Broadway For Orlando song "What The World Needs Now" benefits the Trevor Project which is basically a suicide hotline for youth. Never stop fighting for LGBTQ rights because you're fighting for one of the most vulnerable populations, children!

Tickets range from $18 to $103 and are available at my.auditoriumtheatre.org and at the Auditorium Theatre box office. Participating performers are subject to change.

For those unable to attend CONCERT FOR AMERICA in person, it will be broadcast via Facebook Live and at ConcertsforAmerica.com, beginning at 9pm EDT on Monday, March 20. The next CONCERT FOR AMERICA will return to New York in April.

CONCERT FOR AMERICA: STAND UP, SING OUT! is created and organized by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, in association with Your Kids, Our Kids, as well as the generous support of The Actors Fund. It is co-produced by Joey Monda and Frankie Dailey. CONCERT FOR AMERICA will be directed by Tony nominee Lisa Mordente.

Photo Credit: Jenny Anderson