Broadway Stars To Raise Money For Sandy Hook Promise in September

“The Best of Broadway," a Benefit Performance for Sandy Hook Promise, hosted by Tony Award winner James Naughton and folk legend Rex Fowler of Aztec Two-Step will be held September 22, 2024 at 6:00 pm at SHU Community Theater in Fairfield, CT.

Broadway stars will lift up their voices to raise funds and awareness for those who have been silenced by gun violence.

Proceeds from the event will go to Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a leading national nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent gun violence. The financial support will allow them to teach more people the warning signs of potential gun violence and how to get help. Their signature Know the Signs programs are proven to have averted at least 16 planned school shooting attacks, hundreds of youth suicides, and countless other acts of violence.

This star-infused evening of music and dance features Broadway stars from the casts of: Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Chicago, City of Angels, CATS, Jekyll & Hyde & more. Hosted by Tony award winner James Naughton and legendary folk star Rex Fowler of Aztec Two-Step, the performance is the first of its kind in Connecticut.

Cast members as of July 2024 include: James Naughton, Tony Award Winner, City of Angels, Chicago; Craig Schulman, Former Phantom & Jean Valjean, Les Miserables; Ted Keegan, Former Phantom, National Tour; Keith Buterbaugh, Former Raoul and Phantom Broadway, National Tour; Dodie Pettit, Original Cast Phantom, Ballet Populaire, Christine; Frank Mastrone, Original Cast Phantom, Title Role, Jekyll & Hyde, Les Miserables; Terry Eldh, Phantom Broadway, Carlotta; Scott Mikita, Phantom Broadway Multiple roles, 7500 shows; Paul Schoeffler, Broadway Rock of Ages, Sunset Blvd, Beauty and the Beast; Robert Cuccioli, Jekyll & Hyde plus AZTEC TWO-STEP 2.0

Also on the program, student scholarship recipients from Connecticut Dance School in Fairfield, a student chorus from Wiremill Academy of Performing Arts in Redding, a special screening of the trailer for “A Father's Promise,” and an auction led by Joe Gray - the opening act at the Apollo for 25 years. A list of VIPs (to be announced in September) will be in attendance, including Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley, co-founders and CEOs of Sandy Hook Promise.

Dodie Pettit, co-producer explains, “We are coming together to add our voices and spirit to help Sandy Hook Promise continue to spread their good works. We put this show together with the incredible generosity of my Broadway family who have donated their talent and time to raise money and awareness for one of the most important causes of our time. After my husband, Rex (Fowler), was approached to donate his song ‘Living in America' for the new Sandy Hook film ‘A Father's Promise' and appear at their NYC concert film debut in December 2023, we were deeply moved by the Sandy Hook Foundation. I approached Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden about producing a fundraising concert, and ‘The Best of Broadway' was born.”

“The Best of Broadway” is proudly sponsored by Moffly Media, Lamar Advertising, Wings4Peace and Westport Downtown Association. Sponsorship opportunities are open through August 16th. Contact Dodie Pettit at graypet@aol.com if you are interested in sponsoring the event, offering a monetary or in-kind donation, or advertising in the program.

For TICKETS, full cast list and more information, visit broadwaypromise.com

About Sandy Hook Promise

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP's mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

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