Stephanie J. Block & Aaron Lazar Set for New York Pops Benefit at 54 Below, 9/28

On Monday, September 28, 2015, Broadway stars Stephanie J. Block and Aaron Lazar will perform in "A Cabaret Evening" at 54 Below, located at 254 West 54th Street. The evening is a joint benefit in support of The New York Pops PopsEd Programs and Ronald McDonald House® New York. The two organizations partner to provide music education programs that serve as creative outlets for the children and families in residence. Hosted by Steven Reineke, Music Director of The New York Pops, the benefit will start with a champagne reception at 5:30PM followed by dinner and performance at 6:30PM.

Aaron Lazar will be joined by his Music Director and Pianist Jesse Kissel, cellist Sarah Carter, and drummer Dan Weiner. Stephanie J. Block will be accompanied by her Music Director and Pianist Ben Cohn, cellist Allison Seidner, and drummer Sean McDaniel.

Since 2006, the PopsEd residency at Ronald McDonald House® New York has helped children fighting cancer discover their creative voice by teaching basic musical, creative writing and instrumental techniques. The multi-faceted program meets twice weekly and includes piano lessons and a choir, along with Rockin' the House, a special residency created for pre-teens and teenagers. Music lessons help the children and families retain a sense of normalcy, nurturing emotional growth and well-being.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stephanie J. Block has established herself as one of Broadway's most versatile leading ladies. She has starred in Little Miss Sunshine (Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony Award Nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical); Anything Goes; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; 9 to 5: The Musical (Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical), Wicked, The Pirate Queen, and The Boy From Oz. She starred in the First National Touring Company of Wicked as Elphaba (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress, Carbonell Award for Best Actress in a Musical). Regional credits include Funny Girl (Robby Award Winner-Best Actress), Crazy For You (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), Oliver! (Critic's Award-Best Actress), James Joyce's The Dead, Triumph of Love, The Grass Harp, South Pacific, The Will Rogers Follies, and the World Premiere of Wicked. Television Credits include: Orange is the New Black and Homeland. Stephanie has sung with numerous symphony orchestras around the U.S. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed in NYC and London. Her voice can be heard on the original cast recordings of The Boy from Oz, The Pirate Queen, and 9 to 5: The Musical (Grammy Nomination), and of course her own album, This Place I Know. She is a proud member of The Musical Theatre Guild and has been a member of Actors' Equity since 1995. stephaniejblock.com

Aaron Lazar recently starred in Broadway's The Last Ship, a new musical by Grammy Award winner Sting. Other Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, and later Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch, as well as two world premieres: Impressionism with Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen, and A Tale of Two Cities. Other Broadway credits include LES MISERABLES (Drama Desk Award nomination), Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma!, and Fabrizio Naccarelli in the Tony Award-winning production of The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and 'Live from Lincoln Center' on PBS. Film & television credits include Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, the Warner Brothers film This is Where I Leave You, Clint Eastwood's J.Edgar, Blacklist, "Blue Bloods," "The Good Wife", "The Following", "Person of Interest", "A Gifted Man", and "Ugly Betty". Other highlights include Company with Neil Patrick Harris and The New York Philharmonic (filmed and released for Cinecast/DVD), South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl with Reba McEntire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at City Center Encores!, Carousel with the Boston Pops under Keith Lockhart, and numerous appearances with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall under Steven Reineke, and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center under Steven Reineke and the late Marvin Hamlisch.

Steven Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Principal Pops Conductor Designate for the Houston Symphony, beginning in the 2017-2018 season. Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the composer of symphonic and wind ensemble compositions, Mr. Reineke's work has been performed worldwide.

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall. The New York Pops was founded by Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America's rich musical heritage. The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend traditional education with pure fun. For more information visit www.newyorkpops.org.

Ronald McDonald House® New York provides temporary housing for pediatric cancer patients and their families in a strong, supportive and caring environment which encourages and nurtures the development of child-to-child and parent-to-parent support systems. Ronald McDonald House® New York is the largest facility of its type in the world. The House can accommodate 84 families, and it is filled to capacity almost every night. The House's location in Manhattan, in close proximity to 16 major cancer treatment centers, draws children and families from across the country and the world, as well as from the metropolitan New York City area. Since its founding, more than 35,000 families have stayed at Ronald McDonald House® New York. For more information, visit www.rmh-newyork.org.

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