Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point is launching a new partnership with the South Jersey Jazz Society (SJJS). The collaboration will kick off April 19 when Emmy-nominated trumpeter Benny Benack III and Broadway’s Khailah Johnson blend Jazz’s biggest hits with Broadway’s hottest tunes in “Some Enchanted Evening.”
Benack has been a leading voice in Jazz for years – and he’s only in his early 30s. He’s headlined clubs and festivals around the world on the heels of his latest critically acclaimed album “Third Time’s the Charm,” which rose to No. 2 on JazzWeek International Radio Charts in 2023. He is a fiery trumpeter who can play anything from Freddie Hubbard to Louis Armstrong and everyone in between. As a singer, he delivers expressive Sinatra-esque vocal stylings.
“I had heard about Benny, but I never worked with him. Then I finally got to see him perform live,” said Joe Donofrio, artistic director and vice president of SJJS, as well as a musician, manager, promoter, and producer with six Grammy Awards to his name. “He knocked me out. I was so impressed. Not only by him as a musician, but as a well-versed entertainer.”
Benack has spanned the globe with various musical artists with his “Some Enchanted Evening” show, receiving rave reviews wherever he goes. For the Gateway performance, he will pair with Johnson, who currently performs in the hit Broadway show “& Juliet.”
In “Some Enchanted Evening,” Benack and Johnson will take audiences on a Jazz-filled trip that explores The Great American Songbook’s most enduring hits from the Golden Age of Broadway and the Silver Screen, such as “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Sound of Music,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Oliver!” and “Hamilton,” all while paying homage to the enduring legacy of some of the most-beloved songs ever written by some of the world’s most-renowned songwriters.
While SJJS has produced shows at the Gateway before, this is the first time the two entities are fully co-producing, and they are already entertaining additional shows moving forward.
“We are so excited to be able to bring such extraordinary music to our stage,” said Alice Woods, executive director of the Gateway. “By bringing our two groups together, we can pool our resources to attract the next level of regional and New York talent. It just strengthens our message that Gateway Playhouse is the venue for arts and entertainment in South Jersey.”
|
Destroying David Union Arts Center (10/09-10/18) |
|
Neruda Songs and Poulenc's Gloria New Jersey Performing Arts Center (4/15-4/15) |
|
I'm Not a Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce Union County Performing Arts Center (10/02-10/02) |
|
Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances New Jersey Performing Arts Center (11/19-11/19) |
|
KHAN!!! The Musical Brook Arts Center (9/18-9/27) PHOTOS |
|
We Declare: Words That Shaped A Nation The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (9/14-9/14) |
|
Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey Mayo Performing Arts Center (11/07-11/07) |
|
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini New Jersey Performing Arts Center (1/22-1/22) |
|
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert Count Basie Center for the Arts (5/21-5/21) |
|
Gunhild Carling with the Centenary Stage Company Kutz Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center (9/12-9/12) |