Westport Country Playhouse Presents VOICES FOR VOLUNTEERS OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY – AN APPRECIATION PERFORMANCE

“Voices for Volunteers of Fairfield County – An Appreciation Performance” will celebrate community volunteers with a concert by musical theater talents, many originally from the local area, on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m., at Westport Country Playhouse. 

The event is presented in partnership by the Playhouse and The Elayne and James Schoke Jewish Family Service of Fairfield County.  Tickets are $50; seating is general admission; on a first-come, first-serve basis.

 

“The evening of song will honor individuals who volunteer their time in support of organizations throughout our community,” said Ben Frimmer of Weston, producer and director for the event, and a member of the Playhouse board of trustees. “For all that our area volunteers do, our multi-talented cast will celebrate them through music. I couldn't be more excited to bring in a stellar cast of Broadway professionals who also call Fairfield County their home.”

 

Frimmer himself is a volunteer, serving on the ambulance team in Westport since 1985. He has been teaching theatre arts for the Westport Schools for the past 29 years and is artistic director of Coleytown Company at Coleytown Middle School. Last September, he produced the Playhouse fundraiser, “An Evening with Justin Paul and Friends with Kelli O'Hara and James Naughton.”

 

Headlining “Voices for Volunteers” is Cady Huffman (Westport Country Playhouse's “All About Us”; Tony Award for “The Producers”; Tony nomination for “The Will Rogers Follies”; OCC nomination for “The Nance”); along with Westport native Adam Kaplan (Chad in Hulu's “Up Here”; Broadway's “A Bronx Tale,” “Newsies,” “Kinky Boots”).

 

Other Westport talents are Mia Gentile (“Broadway's “Kinky Boots”; “Forbidden Broadway”; Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox); Jacob Heimer (Broadway's “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”; Music Theatre of Connecticut's “Next to Normal”), and Remy Laifer (National Tour of “Fiddler on the Roof”; NBC's “New Amsterdam”).

 

Fairfield performers include Natalie Steele (New York's 54 Below, Green Room 42; studying musical theatre in NYU); Jeff Gurner (Broadway's “The Lion King”; tours of “Phantom of the Opera,” “Buddy”), and Nili Bassman (Broadway's “Chicago,” “Curtains,” “Never Gonna Dance”).  

 

Also on the bill are Norwalk's multi-award-winning composer David Friedman (Off-Broadway's “Desperate Measures”; written songs for everyone from Disney to Diana Ross); and Ridgefield's Juliet Lambert Pratt (Broadway's “Les Misérables,” “Passion,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”).

 

Ari Axelrod, cabaret star, will return to the Playhouse after appearing at the theater last May in a nearly sold-out performance of "A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway.” Axelrod is the recipient of a 2022 Bistro Award for Best Theatrical Artistry in Song. Also performing will be Elana Arian (composer, multi-instrumentalist; Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, The White House).

 

Local Cantors Julia Cadrain and Becky Mann of Westport's Temple Israel and Micah Morgovsky of Stamford's Temple Sinai will also take the stage.

 

Master of ceremonies is comedian Chris O'Neil of Stamford (“Book of Mormon” – Helen Hayes Award; award-winning two-man comedy act, “The Chris and Paul Show”).

 

Musical director is Mat Eisenstein (Broadway's “Some Like It Hot,” “Frozen,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Something Rotten,” “Newsies,” “Book of Mormon,” “Elf,” “Next to Normal,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Avenue Q,” “42nd Street,” “Les Misérables”).

 

Running time is approximately two hours, including one intermission.

 

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