Keala Settle Will Join Seth Rudetsky for Broadway @ The Herbst Concert Series in March

Producer Mark Cortale's star-studded Broadway concert series, hosted and music directed by Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky, will return to San Francisco's Herbst Theatre with Keala Settle, star of the film The Greatest Showman and the Broadway hit musicals Waitress and Hands on a Hard Body, on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 5 PM. The unique format of the series that differentiates it from any other is a seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky's insightful, funny and revealing questions - and the music from the artists' stellar careers. The result is spontaneous evenings of show-stopping songs and hilarity. Ms. Settle follows the recent 2020 season opener starring Jeremy Jordan. The Broadway @ The Herbst series will be raising funds this season for San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, Project Open Hand and Sandy Hook Promise. For tickets and information, please visit www.cityboxoffice.com/broadway or call (415) 392-4400.

Keala Settle received world-wide attention for portraying Lettie Lutz, a bearded lady, in 2017's musical film The Greatest Showman, alongside stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Zendaya. The song "This Is Me" from the film, principally sung by Settle, won the 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2019 she starred in Fox Television's Rent Live as Cy (a gender-flipped version of Paul from the original, combined with soloist 1). Keala originated the role of Norma Valverde in Hands on a Hardbody, which ran on Broadway in 2013, and was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She was also awarded the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway debut performance during the 2012-13 theatrical season. She has also been featured on Broadway as Madame Thenardier in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables, and originated the role of Becky in the 2016 musical Waitress, after premiering with the original cast at the American Repertory Theater in 2015. She made her Broadway debut in 2011's Priscilla, Queen of the Desert as Shirley and in the ensemble. Keala performed in the 2013 Encores! concert staging of Violet with Sutton Foster, but did not move on to the Broadway revival due to taking the role Madame Thénardier in the revival of Les Misérables. She played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the national tour of Hairspray, and appeared in the national tour of the Lincoln Center production of South Pacific as Bloody Mary. Other notable roles include Mrs. Fezziwig in the Pioneer Theatre Company production of the musical A Christmas Carol, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Keala was born in Hawaii, and is a graduate of Kahuku High School, and an alumna of Southern Utah University. She began her singing career as a studio vocalist and one time backup singer for Gladys Knight in Las Vegas. The same week as The Greatest Showman film's U.S. release in December 2017, Settle released her debut EP as Keala, titled "Chapter One," a set of contemporary R&B-infused covers which landed on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. The follow-up, Chapter Two, arrived shortly thereafter in March 2018. NBC used "This Is Me" as an anthem for their 2018 Winter Olympics coverage.

https://www.smoothradio.com/news/entertainment/keala-settle-greatest-showman-age-facts/

Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on Sirius/XM Stars. As an author, he penned My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan and the sequel The Rise And Fall Of A Theater Geek (Random House) as well as three volumes of Seth's Broadway Diary featuring inside scoop and hilarious stories from all of the stars he's worked with. He co-wrote and co-starred in Disaster! (NY TIMES "critics pick") which also premiered to rave reviews in London. In June 2016, he and his husband, James Wesley, co-produced a recording of "What The World Needs Now" with stars like Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carole King, Audra McDonald which went to number one on iTunes and raised more than $100,000 for the Orlando shooting victims (and is still raising money. Buy it!). Seth and James have a foundation called Your Kids Our Kids that presented Concert For America; a series around the country featuring stars like Barry Manilow, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams, Tina Fey, Randy Rainbow and Audra McDonald that raised money for 5 non-profits that have been working relentlessly since the 2016 presidential election. They also present Voices for The Voiceless, a yearly star-studded concert for You Gotta Believe which helps older foster children find families, even if they've aged out of the system. If you want to hang out with Seth and James and a bunch of Broadway stars performing up a storm, come on one of their cruises! In February 2020 they journey to the Caribbean, in June 2020 to The Adriatic and Greek Isles, in July 2020 to Bermuda and Newport, and in October 2020 their Transatlantic Crossing sails to England! More info at SethsBroadwayVacations.com.

About: Mark Cortale (Producer) co-produced the critically acclaimed new Off-Broadway musical Midnight At The Never Get at The York Theatre last fall, which received 3 Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Best Musical and 2 Drama Desk Nominations including Best Score. He produced Deconstructing Patti on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS starring Patti LuPone and Seth Rudetsky. He created the Broadway @ concert series in 2011 at The Art House in Provincetown where he serves as Producing Artistic Director. The series, featuring creative partner Seth Rudetsky as music director and host, just wrapped its ninth season this summer and guest artists over the years have included Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Megan Mullally, Christine Ebersole and Jessie Mueller. The Broadway @ series also premiered in 2013 in New Orleans, in Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) with Megan Mullally and in London's West End with Patti LuPone at the Leicester Square Theater. The series has since travelled to cities that include Chicago @ The Steppenwolf, Beverly Hills @ The Wallis, Fort Lauderdale @ The Parker Playhouse, San Francisco @ The Herbst Theater and Scottsdale @ Scottsdale Center for the Arts. In the 2018/19 the series launched in Boston @ the Huntington Theatre with Chita Rivera and at The Town Hall in New York City with six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. Mark produced the feature film Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads and also produces the singing string quartet Well-Strung, which he co-founded. Info at www.markcortalepresents.com.

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