Beth Kirkpatrick and Michele Ragusa Join Broadway's Best For Breast Cancer!

This June 13, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (MMJCCM) will Raise the Curtain on a special virtual health and wellness event-Broadway's Best for Breast Cancer! The Healing Power of Music, featuring Broadway stars Beth Kirkpatrick and Michele Ragusa along with health experts offering guidance to those experiencing health challenges or wishing to support friends and family members.

The free, virtual event takes place on Monday, June 13 at 6 p.m. ET and is beneficial for everyone but geared specifically to those living with or recovered from breast cancer. This special program is cosponsored by the MMJCCM and Dr. Alison Estabrook, a nationally recognized breast cancer surgeon and currently Professor of Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was founder and chief of the Comprehensive Breast Center, Mount Sinai West, in New York City, and co-founder of Breastlink New York, an affiliate of Radnet. It is endorsed by MMJCCM community partners Sharsheret, The Nia Technique, and the American Cancer Society.

"People living with cancer need practices and tools to help with the fear and anxiety, and a bit of entertainment to distract them and keep them focused and positive," says cohost Caroline Kohles, Senior Director of Health and Wellness programming at the MMJCCM. "While music cannot cure any type of disease, research has shown that it can help reduce anxiety, improve quality of life and reduce symptoms and side effects."

"We want to help people who have been diagnosed with cancer reach into themselves and feel the power that their spirit has to keep them balanced," says Dr. Alison Estabrook. "Music is one way to do this, and our guests will show you how."

Register online for this free event in advance here.

The event is co-hosted by Caroline Kohles, Senior Director of Health and Wellness programming at the MMJCCM, and Broadway performer Beth Kirkpatrick (who also will sing one of her favorite Broadway numbers and a duet with Broadway veteran Michele Ragusa), and will feature appearances by Dr. Alison Estabrook and her colleague Gabriel Sara, M.D., Medical Director of the Infusion Suite at Mount Sinai West. A brilliant oncologist, Dr. Sara created The Helen Sawaya Fund to reframe clinical treatment for cancer and has partnered with The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai to bring the healing power of music into the hospital to help those being treated for cancer.

Music therapist Christopher Pizzute, from The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy, will open the show with a mindfulness music meditation, and demonstrate how music is used in all aspects of treatment. Viewers also can experience yoga with Whitney Chapman, accompanied by live harp music performed by breast cancer survivor Amy Camie.

Beth Kirkpatrick is a multi-talented performer based in New York City. She's best known for understudying Madame Thenardier in Broadway's 'Les Miserables' and the Original Cast Recording (and both original premieres) of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' as the Madam. She was recently seen playing Mrs. Gloop on the National Tour of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and understudying Betty Buckley as Dolly Levi in the National Tour of 'Hello, Dolly'. Tours with 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'The Sound of Music' (as the Mother Abbess) are a testament to her classical training. But this one-time aspiring opera singer is equally at home winning a Cincinnati Entertainment Award while belting "I Just Wanna Dance" as Shawntel/Eve in 'Jerry Springer: the Opera". She has a passion for new musicals and has been collaborating with the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program for over 12 years. Concert work includes her hit show 'Beth Kirkpatrick: The Big Gay Setup' and a one-woman show entitled 'The Broads of Broadway' along with performances with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra and the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.

Michele Ragusa made her Broadway debut in the 1993 original cast of 'Cyrano: The Musical' as The Novice. She went on to be featured in the original Broadway cast of 'Titanic' as Caroline, followed by the Broadway productions of 'Ragtime' as Evelyn Nesbit, Mona in 'A Class Act', and covering Penny and Hope in 'Urinetown'. Ragusa came into the starring role of Elizabeth in 'Young Frankenstein' on Broadway. She most recently starred in 'Flying Over Sunset' on Broadway and will soon appear in 'The Butcher Boy' at the Irish Repertory Theatre.

Ragusa played Corinna in the premiere of 'Adrift In Macao', and won a Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre, as well as nominations for Drama League and Lucille Lortel awards. She has appeared on television in a recurring role in 'Happyish', and in 'Law and Order SVU', 'One Life to Live', 'Guiding Light', and 'All My Children'. She also has sung with major symphony orchestras, including Kansas City Symphony, Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Chattanooga Symphony and Opera.

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