Norbert Leo Butz, Jessie Mueller, Aaron Tveit, Mariska Hargitay, and More Support Survivors of Sexual Violence at 54 Below

The Angel Band Project presents, "An Evening with Norbert Leo Butz & Friends - A Benefit to Support Survivors of Sexual Violence", Monday, November 12, 2018 at 54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, New York City, NY, two-sets, 7:00pm and 10pm. This one-night only event will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and features: Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit, Jessie Mueller, Sherie Renee Scott, Lindsay Mendez, Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal with Musical Direction by Michael Moritz, Jr. Tickets go on sale at 12:00PM (EST) on October 12, 2018 and are available online at https://54below.com/events/angelbandproject/ or by calling 54 Below at (646) 476-3551. A three course meal with a premium open-bar is included in the ticket price and all proceeds from this evening go to benefit The Angel Band Project.

The inspiration for The Angel Band Project came from an unthinkable tragedy. In July of 2009 in Seattle, WA, a man crept through an Open Window in the middle of the night at the home of Teresa Butz and her partner, Jennifer Hopper. After repeatedly raping and stabbing the women, Teresa fought back. According to police, her action saved Jennifer's life but cost her her own. This tragic event and subsequent trial that followed were chronicled in the Pulitzer Prize-winning story, "The Bravest Woman in Seattle" by Eli Sanders.

After an emotional but musically-uplifting funeral service, lifelong best friends got together with the idea of recording a CD in Teresa's memory. Teresa's brother, two-time Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz and Teresa's surviving partner, Jennifer Hopper, joined their efforts. Their aim was simple: to capture the power in the music they heard to help others heal from the effects of sexual violence. The "Take You With Me" CD was released in 2010. Since that time, the vision has expanded to use music therapy to directly impact the lives of survivors.

In 2014, The Angel Band Project created the groundbreaking music therapy program, "Songs of Survival" in St. Louis, MO. In this program board certified music therapists work in small groups of teens and adult survivors as part of their healing process. In late 2016, the program expanded to include Seattle, WA, and in 2017, in collaboration with New York University's Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center, The Angel Band Project began serving survivors of sexual violence in the greater New York City area.

"Music is able to contain and express the complex legacy of emotions left by such experiences for which words are not adequate. And equally importantly, the act of creating music with other people is a life-embracing activity that helps survivors to reclaim their sense of self as whole and valuable human beings, something that can be suppressed, but not eliminated, by the experience of violence or abuse of any type." said Ken Aigen, Associate Professor of Music Therapy, New York University, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center.

An Evening with Norbert Leo Butz & Friends will be the first New York City fundraising effort for The Angel Band Project. All artists have donated their time for this event and proceeds will be used to grow outreach efforts in the New York metro area.

"One in five women will be the victim of a sexual assault in her lifetime," said Angel Band Project Executive Director and co-founder, Rachel Ebeling. "One of the biggest obstacles that victims of sexual assault encounter in the aftermath of being assaulted is the fear of being judged or not believed. A sense of isolation and blame is very common amongst victims of such violence. The Angel Band Project is here to show support, belief, and community for survivors. Until sexual violence is no longer tolerated, we walk in solidarity with survivors on their journey to healing."

Norbert Leo Butz was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. He is the seventh of eleven children and some of his first theatre roles included playing the male leads at the all-girl Catholic high schools such as Nerinx Hall and Cor Jesu. He is now in an elite group of actors who've earned two Tony Awards for "Best Performance for a Featured Actor in a Musical". Earning one for his role as Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and for his role as Agent Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can. Currently, Norbert can be found at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in the role of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, for which he received a 2018 Tony Award-nomination. Norbert is an Honorary Board Member of The Angel Band Project.

Mariska Hargitay is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her portrayal of Sargent Olivia Benson in the NBC series, Law & Order - Special Victims Unit. In 2004, Mariska founded The Joyful Heart Foundation in response to the overwhelming feedback from survivors who were contacting her to disclose their stories of abuse, many for the first time. Based in Kona, Hawaii their mission is to "transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, support survivors' healing, and to end this violence forever."

Aaron Tveit is an award-winning actor known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale, Jr. in the stage version of Catch Me If You Can. He's starred on Broadway in Wicked and Hairspray and on television as Danny Zuko in Grease: Live!. Legions of fans know him for his recurring role as Tripp van der Bilt on the teen drama series Gossip Girl. Aaron was recently cast in the role of Christian in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

Jessie Mueller is an actor and singer who made her Broadway debut in the revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. She originated the title role of Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for which she won the Tony Award for "Best Lead Actress in a Musical" and shared a Grammy Award for "Best Musical Theatre Album", Jessie received two additional Tony nominations for her roles in Waitress in 2016 and for the Broadway revival of Carousel in 2018. She can currently be found in the role of Julie Jordan in Carousel.

Sherie Renee Scott is an actress, singer, writer and producer. She is co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning Sh-K-Boom Records and Ghostlight Records. She's been in multiple Off-Broadway and Broadway musicals including The Who's Tommy, Aida and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Her work can be found in numerous cast recordings including: The Little Mermaid, Everyday Rapture and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown to name a few.

Lindsay Mendez won the 2018 Tony Award for "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" and the Drama Desk Award for her performance as Carrie Pepperidge in the Broadway revival of Carousel. Other Broadway credits include Elphaba Thropp in Wicked, Jan in Grease and as performer in Godspell. Mendez sings, jazz, blues and cabaret and together with fellow actor, Derek Klena she can frequently be found performing at 54 Below.

Rosanne Cash is a singer, songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country music icon, Johnny Cash. Her music draws upon many influences and genres including country, folk, pop, rock, blues and most notably Americana. Since her solo career first began in the 1980's she's had a string of chart-topping hits and in 2015, Roseanne Cash and her husband John Leventhal brought home three Grammy Awards. The categories include "Best Americana Album" for The River and the Thread, "Best American Pop Roots Song" and "Best American Roots Performance for A Feather's Not a Bird."

John Leventhal is a five-time Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, songwriter and recording engineer who has produced albums for Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell and Loudon Wainwright, III among others. As a musician he's performed with Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Levon Helm, Donald Fagen and Johnny Cash just to name a few. As a songwriter he's had over 150 songs recorded by various artists including Marc Cohn, Joe Cocker, the Tedeshi Trucks Band, George Strait and Shelby Lynne.

Michael Moritz Jr. is a two-time Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning theatrical producer, music director, arranger, pianist and performer. His career has teamed him with everyone from Patti LuPone to Bebe Neuwirth to Lin Manuel Miranda to Mickey Dolenz. He is on the Board of Directors for The Angel Band Project and he was the Musical Director for The Angel Band Project: An Evening with Norbert Leo Butz among numerous credits.