Laura Osnes and Norm Lewis to Join Seth Rudetsky Concert Series At Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Producer Mark Cortale and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts have announced that The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series, hosted and music directed by Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky, will return to Scottsdale for the 2020 season. Kicking off the series this season will be Laura Osnes, Tony Award® nominee for her leading roles in Cinderella and Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway, and star on TV of Hallmark Channel's A Homecoming for the Holidays, on Friday, January 24 at 8:00 PM. She will be followed by Tony Award® nominated actor Norm Lewis, best known for his performances in Porgy and Bess and The Phantom of the Opera and on Television in Scandal and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!, on Friday, March 6 at 8:00 PM.

The unique format of the series that differentiates it from any other is a seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky's insightful, funny and revealing questions - and the music from the artists' stellar careers. The result is spontaneous evenings of show-stopping songs and hilarity. For tickets and information, please visit https://scottsdaleperformingarts.org/events or call 480-499-8587.

Laura Osnes was most recently seen in the Hallmark Channel original movie, A Homecoming for the Holidays, after debuting with the network last summer in, In The Key Of Love. She was last seen on Broadway starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Bandstand (Drama Desk, Drama League nominations), which was filmed and released in movie theaters nationwide via Fathom Events. Other Broadway credits include Cinderella in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Drama Desk Award; Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Astaire nominations); Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (Tony Award nomination); Hope Harcourt in the Tony Award winning revival of Anything Goes (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations); Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center Theater's South Pacific; and Sandy in Grease.

Norm Lewis was recently seen in the NBC television special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!, alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Alice Cooper. He recently appeared in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. In May of 2014, he made history as The Phantom of the Opera's first African American Phantom on Broadway. He has been seen on PBS in the Live From Lincoln Center productions of Showboat with Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis: Who Am I?, and New Year's Eve: A Gershwin Celebration with Diane Reeves, as well as American Voices with Renée Fleming and the PBS Special First You Dream - The Music of Kander & Ebb.

Seth Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's On Broadway as well as the host of Seth Speaks on Sirius/XM Stars. As an author, he penned My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan and the sequel The Rise And Fall Of A Theater Geek (Random House) as well as three volumes of Seth's Broadway Diary featuring inside scoop and hilarious stories from all of the stars he's worked with. He co-wrote and co-starred in Disaster! (NY TIMES "critics pick") which also premiered to rave reviews in London. In June 2016, he and his husband, James Wesley, co-produced a recording of "What The World Needs Now" with stars like Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Carole King, Audra McDonald which went to number one on iTunes and raised more than $100,000 for the Orlando shooting victims (and is still raising money. Buy it!).

Seth and James have a foundation called Your Kids Our Kids that presented Concert For America; a series around the country featuring stars like Barry Manilow, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams, Tina Fey, Randy Rainbow and Audra McDonald that raised money for 5 non-profits that have been working relentlessly since the 2016 presidential election. They also present Voices for The Voiceless, a yearly star-studded concert for You Gotta Believe which helps older foster children find families, even if they've aged out of the system. If you want to hang out with Seth and James and a bunch of Broadway stars performing up a storm, come on one of their cruises! In October 2020 their Transatlantic Crossing sails to England, in February 2020 they journey to the Caribbean, and in June 2020 to The Adriatic and Greek Isles. More info at SethsBroadwayVacations.com.