BWW Preview: DEARLY BELOVED... A Concert Tribute to Purple Rain Benefit Arts for All at 42West on 5/16

By: Apr. 27, 2016
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Jacob Langfelder, along with two-time TONY and GRAMMY nominated producer Michael J. Moritz Jr. will present a one night only encore performance of DEARLY BELOVED... A Concert Tribute to Purple Rain, on Monday, May 16th at 8 p.m. at 42West (514 West 42nd Street, www.42WestNY.com). The concert experience will star Tony Award Nominee, Drama Desk Winner and film star Robin De Jesus, alongside Grammy nominee and Tony Award winner, Lena Hall, E. Clayton Cornelious and Ariel Bellvalaire. Michael J. Moritz Jr. will music direct the evening and all proceeds for the show will benefit Arts for All. Tickets can be purchased at http://dearlybeloved.eventbrite.com. All tickets are Standing Room/General Admission. Tickets are $19.99. The VIP Section is $199.90

The one night only, concert tribute, originally produced and directed by Jacob Langfelder in 2014, was a Time Out NY Critic's Pick and mentioned as one of Playbill.com's "most unforgettable theatrical experiences of 2014." For the production, JD Urban along with Burt Rock created 14 original video graphics to play on a 30-foot LED wall. Aerial stunts by MIXT Dance and Sound Engineering by Quinn McCarthy for The Creamery Studio. Strobes, flash, 10,000 feathers, and fog will all be used for this concert experience.

Arts for All offers accessible artistic opportunities to children in the New York City area who face socio-economic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Through Arts For All, professional artists work with youth organizations to build self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, resilience, and creativity in children. For more information please visit Arts-for-All.org

Robin De Jesus is Tony Nominated and Drama Desk Award winner for In the Heights. He was also nominated for the Tony and Drama Desk awards for his performance in La Cage aux Folles, and was seen in Wicked and Rent on Broadway. Off-Broadway and regional credits include: Domesticated (Lincoln Center), Patti Issues, Mother Jones and The Children's Crusade, Aladdin, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Grease and Godspell at Papermill Playhouse.

Film: Camp, Hairbrained, Gun Hill Road, Elliot Loves, Bert and Arnie's Guide to Friendship, Fat Girls. Robin has appeared on The View, Lettermen, Good Morning America and can be heard on Cast Albums for Camp, In the Heights and La Cage Aux Folles. Tweet and Instagram @RobinOfJesus

Lena Hall is a Grammy nominee and 2014 Tony Winner for her performance as Yitzhak in the Tony Award Winning, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Previous Broadway and Off-Broadway roles include starring as Nicola in the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots (Original Cast), starring in the award winning Toxic Avenger at New World Stages, Tarzan (Original Cast), Dracula (Original Cast), 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), Cats (Demeter), Bedbugs (NYMF) and Green Eyes

(Fringe). TV and Film roles include Girls "Young Miranda" in the Sex and the City film, The Stepford Wives, The Graduates, and All My Children. When not on the Broadway stage, Lena performs with her band The Deafening.

E. Clayton Cornelious is currently appearing in the National Tour of Kinky Boots. Other Broadway credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,The Caterpillar in Wonderland, The Scottsboro Boys, A Chorus Line, The Music Man, Kat and the Kings, and The Lion King. National Tours include Jersey Boys, Sister Act, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, The Goodbye Girl, and The Wiz.

Michael J. Moritz Jr. is a two-time Tony and Grammy award nominated theatrical producer, record producer and music director originally from Youngstown, Ohio. Michael has received both TONY and Olivier award nominations as a co-producer for Broadway/West End's Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Other notable Broadway producing credits include Big Fish, A Night With Janis Joplin, On The Town, and The Velocity of Autumn. Michael has musically directed 200+ theatrical productions throughout the US and UK. Michael is known for his music direction, coaching and performance piano work in both Broadway and Pop arenas. Michael's piano work is featured on hundreds of recordings internationally. Cast album producing credits include include Peter Pan Live - Executive Producer, The Wiz Live - Executive Producer, Matilda OBC (2013) - Associate Producer, On The Town - Broadway Revival - Producer. Michael has produced countless live albums to acclaimed success including Ahrens and Flaherty's Nice Fighting You, Norbert Leo Butz's Memory and Mayhem, Sierra Boggess's Awakenings, Bebe Neuwirth's Stories in NYC, Aaron Tveit's Radio In My Head.

Jacob Langfelder saw his first Prince concert during the LOVESEXY tour on September 19th 1988 at Chicago's Rosemont Horizon. ACT 1 tour April 4, 5, and 6, 1993 (Chicago Theatre), HIT AND RUN tour Nov 7, 2000 (The Palladium) and nearly all of his Madison Square Garden shows on the MUSICOLOGY LIVE2004EVER, and WELCOME 2 AMERICA tours in 2004 and 2011.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of 42West



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