January 2017 – NYC VIBE was on hand as Broadway royalty came together for a benefit concert at NYC’S Town Hall that had fans lined up all the way to the “Great White Way”
The Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out! raised more than $100,000 in the first concert of its kind on Broadway! The major message of “The Concert for America” was delivered by the entire cast singing the iconic Hal David – Burt Bacharach song “What The World Needs Now is Love”
The sold-out show featured performances and appearances by Betty Buckley, Michelle Collins, Lilla Crawford, Brian d’Arcy James, Sharon Gless, Judy Gold, Richard Kind, Judy Kuhn, Anika Larsen, Liz Larsen, Caissie Levy, Beth Malone, Carrie Manolakos, Stephanie Mills, Jessie Mueller, Kate Mulgrew, Julia Murney, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, Piper Perabo, Rosie Perez, Billy Porter, Randy Rainbow, Caroline Rhea, Alice Ripley, Chita Rivera, Shayna Steele, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ben Vereen, Lillias White, Betsy Wolfe and more. The audience took to their feet several times throughout the concert. Featured moments included Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performing “America” from West Side Story with some of the original Broadway production choreography; dance legend Ben Vereen breaking down into tears singing Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”; and Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn inciting gasps throughout the audience when it was announced she would sing “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas, for which she originated the vocals.
The Concert for America will now become a monthly series benefiting national organizations dedicated to protecting civil rights, women’s health and environmental issues. Proceeds from the Concert for America will benefit several national organizations including the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, and the Sierra Club Foundation.