'What A Wonderful World': CONCERT FOR AMERICA Injects Optimism Into Inauguration Day

A tangible stillness hovered over New York City in the hours following the inauguration of Donald J. Trump. A deafening hush that seemed to permeate every crevice of our small island.

The day was dreary, the sky was grey. Large clouds loomed overhead, threatening inclement weather, but felt more like emotional symbolism than a harbinger of rain. Folks walked stone-faced through the streets of Manhattan, the usual hurried stoicism of New York residents replaced with a plodding, ponderous dread.

It was a dark and uncertain day, one which produced a type of melancholy that all but halted the usual frenzy of the city. But while that lull may have followed audiences to the front door Town Hall, the venue hosting Broadway's Concert for America, the afternoon's proceedings would ensure that it certainly would not permeate the auditorium inside.

Founded and hosted by Broadway personality, Seth Rudetsky, and his husband and producer, James Wesley, the event was planned as a response to the inauguration of Trump, but unlike so many of the action-driven rallies that have taken place around the globe before and since his election, the emphasis of this gathering was placed heavily on optimism, hope, and the political and healing potential of the arts.

Utilizing an impressive lineup of Broadway talent, the day began on a literal high-note, featuring the truly restorative soprano of Tony Award-winner, Kelli O'Hara. Touting the merits of eternal hope with Rogers and Hammerstein's, "Cockeyed Optimist", the performance that set the afternoon's intention to buoy the hearts of all watching.

From there, the healing properties of the day grew only stronger with presentations both energizing and powerful from some of Broadway's most lauded performers. Jessie Mueller brought her usual spunk and charm to Carole King's ode to inner beauty, "Beautiful." A quartet of divas (Caissie Levy, Anika Larsen, Shayna Steele, and Betsy Wolfe) brought the sass with their take on the female empowerment anthem, "I'm A Woman", and Lilla Crawford did her best to banish the clouds with Funny Girl's, "Don't Rain On My Parade."

Throughout all of this relentless hope, however, the issues of the day were not forgotten. Chita Rivera, with all of her seasoned star power, brought to light the plight of immigrants and pitfalls of the American dream with her rendition of West Side Story's, "America." Billy Porter's take on "Edelweiss" provided a moving R&B flecked tribute to the resilient flowers that blossom in the harshest of conditions and and a nation on the brink of turmoil. A pin drop could have easily resounded during Brian Stokes Mitchell's sterling and heartfelt acapella rendition of "America the Beautiful", reminding us of our patriotic duty to unity.

Moments of levity and rousing advocacy continued with speeches from the likes of Rosie Perez, Piper Perabo, Bebe Neuwith, Kate Mulgrew, and the head of the NAACP, Cornell Brooks; pushing the evening forward and laying the intellectual groundwork,

Most significant about this gathering, however, was the announcement that these concerts would become a monthly series. Planning further installations at other venues in major cities, the organizers of this event show a necessary commitment to continued morale boosts in the coming weeks, months, and years. As stage legend, Ben Vereen, noted before launching into a twinkling rendition of Louis Armstrong's , "What A Wonderful World", "We have no room for discouragement. We need your courage...It's not over"

As the day's proceedings closed out, with the full cast taking the stage for their final act, a cover of "Let the Sun Shine In" from Hair, the sold out audience rose to their feet. While all stood singing and clapping along with the hippie anthem of unity and love, two virtues largely lost in the past year, a true sense of togetherness filled the room. The downtrodden, yet determined hearts, both in the audience and onstage, were visibly lifted by a renewed and lasting sense of action. And though the clouds continued to loom outside, the light of optimism, spurred on by the magic of the arts, had never been more blinding.