On Monday, November 4, the Broadway at Birdland partnership with multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn continued with another "Frank & Friends" concert. This very special evening was an on-stage reunion for performers from sixteen years of Jekyll & Hyde Broadway and touring companies, including Robert Cuccioli, Craig Schulman, Luba Mason, Anastasia Barzee, Andrea Rivette, Coleen Sexton, Jodi Stevens, Teal Wicks, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Courtney Markowitz, Dana Costello, Sean Jenness, Doug Storm & Mel Johnson, Jr. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!
Multi-Grammy and Tony Award nominated composer/producer Frank Wildhorn's works span the worlds of popular, theatrical, and classical music. In 1999, Frank became the first American composer in 22 years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War. Also for Broadway: Dracula, Victor/Victoria, Wonderland, andBonnie & Clyde (Tony Award nominated for Best Score). Frank produced Harlem Song at the famed Apollo Theatre. International: Cyrano, The Count of Monte Cristo, Carmen, Rudolf, Mitsuko,Never Say Goodbye, Camille Claudel, and Tears of Heaven. Frank served as music director for the Goodwill Games in New York City (1998). He wrote the song "Gold", the opening number for the 2002 Winter Olympics. He received the prestigious Charles Dickens Award from USC, where there is a scholarship under his name. Among the artists who have recorded and performed Frank's works: Whitney Houston (#1 international hit "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"), Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Moody Blues, Johnny Mathis, Linda Eder, FrEddie Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Stacy Lattisaw, Molly Hatchet, Blues Traveler, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe Winans, Amy Grant, Anthony Warlow, to name a few.
As always, all profits from "Frank & Friends" will go to The Actors Fund, a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in the performing arts and entertainment.
The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone - performers and those behind the scenes - who works in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 12,000 people directly each year, and hundreds of thousands online. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund's programs include social services and emergency assistance, health care and insurance, housing, and employment and training services. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund has - for nearly 130 years - been a safety net for those in need, crisis or transition.
The Broadway at Birdland concert series, presented by Jim Caruso, takes place every Monday night at 7pm at Birdland (315 West 44 Street) in NYC. Visit www.BirdlandJazz.com.
Photo Credit: Seth Walters
Robert Cuccioli and Coleen Sexton
Emmy Raver-Lampman
Cast of FRANK & FRIENDS
Doug Storm, Sean Jenness, Mel Johnson, Jr. , Emmy Raver-Lampman, Courtney Markowitz, Dana Costello and Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks and Robert Cuccioli
Frank Wildhorn, Robert Cuccioli and Coleen Sexton
Anastasia Barzee, Coleen Sexton, Robert Cuccioli, Luba Mason and Mel Johnson, Jr.
Dana Costello and Courtney Markowitz
Jim Caruso, Dana Costello, Frank Wildhorn and Courtney Markowitz
Emmy Raver-Lampman and Frank Wildhorn
Teal Wicks, Frank Wildhorn and Luba Mason
Frank Wildhorn and Robert Cuccioli
Frank Wildhorn, Teal Wicks and Robert Cuccioli
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