Review: FIND YOUR LIGHT FOUNDATION BENEFIT CONCERT FOR ARTS EDUCATION at The Appel Room

Singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban hosted his annual Find Your Light Benefit Concert for Arts Education at the Appel Room at Jazz Lincoln Center on October 8. Stars such as Malea Joi Moon and Jordan Fisher joined Josh Groban for an unforgettable evening of cocktails, dinner, auctions and stunning performances.

The Tony, Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated Groban kicked off the celebrations with a powerful opening number of his song “Be Alright” alongside the Find Your Light Children’s Choir - a group of students from programs that the Foundation supports. Groban, a funny and down-to-earth fellow, told his own story of discovering his light as a shy kid thanks to arts education that ultimately led him to a career in music.

Broadway star Jordan Fisher, with whom Groban starred in a production of Sweeney Todd, confessed that he got into theater thanks to a crush on a girl in drama class. Here, he delivered a stunning performance of “Wait For It” (Lin-Manuel Miranda) from Hamilton.

Renée Fleming and Groban presented the Arts for Healing Award to Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, the celebrated authors of the book Your Brain On Art while the Find Your Light Award was presented to Sesame Street for its decades-long commitment to teach kids how to sing, read, write and play

Though Fleming was there to present, not sing, Magsamen and Ross created an impromptu singing mirroring demonstration, leading everyone in two lines of “Over the Rainbow,” then leading the entire audience in the same demonstration. (We can now all put “Sang with Josh Groban and Renée Fleming” on our resumes.)

About the only jazz at the show came when eight-time Grammy-winning film composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard and jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen performed what started as a somewhat abstract, avant-garde piece. It morphed into a spectacular arrangement of “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Duke Ellington). Cohen’s exhilarating stride solo seemed to be played by four hands. This segment was like watching two geniuses at work. (JALC: Please book these two together!)

Groban, along with Find Your Light grantees and MOVE NYC dancers Carlos Carreras and Josiah Golan Roman, performed a dance piece while Groban, Blanchard and Cohen performed a stunning rendition of “Pure Imagination” (Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley) from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Ben Folds, at the piano, performed his hit song “The Luckiest” with Groban, employing stunning harmonies.

Tony Award winner Maleah Joi Moon performed "Hallelujah/Like Water" (Alicia Keys, James Napier, Sia, and Mark Batson) from the musical Hell’s Kitchen. Moon has one of the best voices this writer has ever heard, and she was simply magnificent here. [Fun anecdote: after reviewing a Drew Gasparini show Moon appeared in at 54 Below several years ago, I told her she would one day win a Tony. Less than two years later, she did.]

Find Your Light grantee Carmelo Rios appeared, with Groban pretending this was a surprise moment (the Teleprompter revealed otherwise). The young Carmelo quipped, “I told you if I don’t get a song, I walk!” The two performed a sweet duet on “Rainbow Connection” (Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams) from The Muppets.

At this point, Groban brought up famed auctioneer Harry Santa-Olalla to lead a live auction. The funny Santa-Olalla induced those with auction paddles to donate in increments ranging from $50,000 down to $1,000, with Groban personally matching a final push for $500 donations that saw nearly all paddles raised. When two women kept raising their paddles for an amazing package to see Groban front row at his Las Vegas residency with the best suite in Caesar’s Palace, Groban, singing a line here and there to sweeten them up, offered both women the package for $30,000 each, a win-win. This ten-minute segment raised an astounding $1.5 million. With 100 percent of the evening’s expenses paid for by an extremely generous donor, all proceeds will help provide arts education to students around the country.

The wonderful Norah Jones, at the piano, performed her “Come Away with Me” entirely solo. Jones and Groban had never previously sung together before. Their duet of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin) was a lovely blend of voices and harmonies.

Elmo and Ernie from Sesame Street joined Groban on stage for performances of “Sing After Me” (Tony Geiss and Sam Pottle) and “I'd Like To Visit The Moon” (Jeff Moss). Groban, at the piano, closed the evening with a beautiful performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Paul Simon) alongside the Find Your Light Children’s Choir.

For more information about the Find Your Light Foundation, visit https://fylf.org.