Jessica Vosk, Javier Muñoz & Mandy Gonzalez, and Jeremy Jordan Bound For Fort Lauderdale's The Parker This Winter

Broadway Producer Mark Cortale (Days of Wine and Roses) has announced his upcoming Broadway Concert Series in partnership with the Broward Center's Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale this coming Winter 2024 season.  South Florida's own must-go destination will welcome must-see stars Jessica Vosk, Mandy Gonzalez, Javier Muñoz and Jeremy Jordan. 

First, surging star Jessica Vosk takes center stage at The Parker on Sunday, January 21 at 7 p.m accompanied by Grammy and Emmy Award-winner John McDaniel, who was seen leading the band on the Rosie O'Donnell show for its entire six year run.  On Broadway, Jessica Vosk performed the role of Elphaba in Wicked for two years and recreated the role of Fruma Sarah in the recent revival of Fiddler on the Roof as well as appearing in Finding Neverland and The Bridges of Madison County.  She made her Carnegie Hall debut in November 2021 in a sold-out solo show entitled My Golden Age and then returned to Carnegie for a second sold-out show Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration in December 2022.  She also starred as the Narrator in the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Lincoln Center.  Jessica starred in New York City Ballet's Jerome Robbins tribute Something to Dance About, directed by Warren Carlyle.  

Next, two stars of Lin Manuel Miranda's smash hits Hamilton and In The Heights combine forces as Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz perform together at The Parker on Saturday, February 17 at 8 p.m.  After making her Broadway debut in Aida in 2001, Mandy Gonzalez has played many attention-getting roles on Broadway including Elphaba in Wicked and Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton.  She originated the role of Nina Rosario in In the Heights on Broadway and enchanted audiences with her sweet yet fierce performance that resonated deeply with many first generation college students.  A New York native, Javier Muñoz made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of In the Heights where he understudied Lin Manuel Miranda before eventually assuming the role of Usnavi. History repeated itself when Hamilton opened on Broadway and Muñoz served as the Hamilton alternate for Miranda in select shows before taking on the title role for two years and reaping glowing reviews. Together, Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz celebrate today's greatest composers, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Schwartz and other extraordinary songwriters… and share stories and songs from their careers on stage, including music from Hamilton, In The Heights, Wicked and the best of Broadway, with musical director Dan Lipton at the Piano.

Finally, heartthrob film and TV star Jeremy Jordan lands at The Parker on Sunday, March 24 at 7 p.m.  He earned a 2012 ‘Best Leading Actor in a Musical' Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of Jack Kelly in Disney's Newsies and a Theatre World Award for his portrayal of Clyde Barrow in Bonnie & Clyde.  Jeremy Jordan has also been seen in Waitress, Rock of Ages, West Side Story, American Son, Finding Neverland and Little Shop of Horrors.  On television, he's portrayed Jimmy Collins in NBC's Smash and Winn Schott on the CW series Supergirl.  He starred in the film adaptation of The Last Five Years opposite Anna Kendrick. He made his solo Carnegie Hall debut in October 2019 and performs with his band, Age of Madness. Jordan's many honors include nominations from the Grammy Awards, Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards and The Astaire Awards. Jeremy Jordan brings his signature and thought-provoking style to The Broward Center for the first time, showcasing a wide array of vocal styles across all genres of Broadway and pop music, with Nate Patten at the piano. Songs and tales from his storied career will include selections from Newsies, Smash, The Last 5 Years, Little Shop of Horrors, Waitress, and many more.

Mark Cortale is currently producing the critically acclaimed new musical Days of Wine and Roses with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, book by Craig Lucas and directed by Michael Greif - which opens on Broadway on January 28th at Studio 54.  He produced the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominated Off-Broadway musical Midnight At The Never Get, by Mark Sonnenblick.  He recently celebrated his twelfth and final season as Producing Artistic Director of The Art House in Provincetown where he presented artists that included Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Jessie Mueller, Christine Ebersole and Megan Mullally. In 2020, he founded the developmental theatre lab New Works Provincetown. In conjunction with producing partners Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese, Mark has commissioned five works to-date including the following shows currently in development: Maiden Voyage with book and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Carmel Dean, Beautiful Little Fool with book by Mona Mansour and music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau, Love Is Strange, with book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé and lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Daniel Messé and Table 17 by Douglas Lyons.

The neo-classical Parker Playhouse is a Fort Lauderdale landmark.  One of the city's first entertainment venues, it was built by Dr. Louis Parker and opened its doors on February 6, 1967.  During its early years, the playhouse earned its reputation presenting theatrical seasons featuring legendary Broadway stars.  In 2005, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts assumed management of the 1,168-seat, fully-equipped theater and, over the years, it became a venue of note for every kind of artistic activity – theater and Broadway, music, concerts, dance of all genres, comedy, conversations, celebrations and educational programming that is curriculum-driven and aligned with Florida state standards. Fifty years after The Parker opened its doors and ushered in a new era of cultural development in South Florida, the Campaign for the Parker sparked the imagination of the community.  Led by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, the campaign raised more than $30 million to restore this iconic theater to its past glory, paying homage to its history and introducing amenities for today's theater goer.  Thanks to the generosity of more than 300 donors, large and small, the fundraising goal was exceeded in less than two years, and the “new” Parker opened to rave reviews in September 2021. 

For more information on The Parker Playhouse visit https://www.parkerplayhouse.com/support/transforming-parker-playhouse.

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