Pre-Sale and Release Dates Announced for THANKFUL Benefit Album Featuring Annaleigh Ashford, Shoshana Bean and More

Jerad Bortz and Steven Skeels today announced that THANKFUL: A Benefit Album for Jerad Bortz will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, October 23 on iTunes. The album will officially be released on Friday, November 27.

Executive and lead producer Lynn Pinto of Rock-It Science Records is well-known in the Broadway Community both as a performer and for creating and producing each of the 21 volumes of the annual holiday album, "Broadway's Carols for a Cure" which benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Since 1999, "Broadway's Carols For A Cure" has captured original recordings by almost every cast on Broadway. In addition, she has produced several other albums in various genres including Off-Broadway, Pop & Cabaret.

The album is co-produced by Steven Skeels, THANKFUL presents 22 original songs written by Skeels and features an impressive lineup of singers, arrangers, orchestrators and musicians. All participants donated their time and award-winning skills to help raise funds for Jerad's ongoing medical needs, and a portion of proceeds will go to The Actors Fund of America and Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). The organizations supported Bortz after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the chest down.

"Collaborating on Steven's writing has always been a constant in our relationship," said Jerad Bortz. "Following the accident, the THANKFUL album gave us a focus and sense of normalcy as we navigated a life where things were anything but normal."

Steven Skeels adds, "Working on the album has been healing in so many ways. Creating has always provided an escape in times of stress & uncertainty as well as a way to express and process emotions and experiences. I'm so proud of what we were able to create and for the generosity of so many artists."

The featured vocalists on THANKFUL include Annaleigh Ashford, Shoshana Bean, Stephanie J. Block, Jerad Bortz, Alex Brightman, Breedlove, Lisa Brescia, Norbert Leo Butz, Liz Callaway, Gaelen Gilliland, Jin Ha, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Christopher Jackson, Andy Karl, Beth Leavel, Norm Lewis, Julia Murney, Q. Smith, Ali Stroker, Steven Skeels, Marty Thomas, Katie Thompson, Ryan Vasquez, Ann VanCleave and Ben Vereen.

THANKFUL's featured arrangers, orchestrators and producers include Martyn Axe, Simon Beck, Ben Cohn, Carmel Dean, Ray Fellman, Josh Harris, Alex Lacamoire, Daniel Lincoln, Bryan Perri, Will Reynolds, Richard Rockage, James Sampliner, Brian Usifer and Scott Wasserman.