PRESS RELEASE

August 15, 2024

For Immediate Release 

BROADWAY STARS SHARE THEIR TALENTS TO HELP STOP GUN VIOLENCE

“The Best of Broadway” Benefit for Sandy Hook Promise

[Fairfield County, CT] — August 15, 2024] Connecticut will welcome a group of Broadway stars from New York City and beyond to perform in a benefit for Sandy Hook Promise on September 22nd at SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield CT. The brainchild of Dodie Pettit, who performed on Broadway in Cats and Phantom of the Opera, the idea was born when a request was made to her husband, folk legend Rex Fowler.

Rex was asked to perform “Living In America” in a new Sandy Hook Promise film called A Father’s Promise. This film is a documentary about Mark Barden whose son Daniel, was killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting. Dodie was so moved by the mission of Sandy Hook Promise to curb gun violence that she contacted the foundation in January 2024 to gain permission to gather Broadway performers to raise money for gun violence awareness. 

Among the artists performing at this event are two-time Tony Award winner James Naughton, City of Angels, Chicago; Craig Schulman who starred in the title roles of Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserable and Jekyll and Hyde; Alton Fitzgerald White who was the original Mufasa in The Lion King and has graced the stage in many other Broadway shows including Miss Saigon, Tommy, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Color Purple, and Ragtime; Robert Cuccioli, who was Tony-nominated for Jekyll & Hyde and also starred in  Les Miserables, Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark, and The Rothchilds; Gay Willis who appeared on Broadway in Hal Prince’s Showboat and was in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber - both with Michael Crawford; Frank Mastrone who was an original cast member of Phantom of the Opera and also performed in CATS, Les Miserables, Big, and Tapestry; Terry Eldh who appeared on Broadway as Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera; Paul Schoeffler who appeared on Broadway in Rock of Ages and Sweet Charity;  Scott Mikita who was a swing on Broadway in Phantom for 7500 performances, and who Toured Nationally in Phantom, Martin Guerre, Showboat and Into the Woods; Ted Keegan who played the title role in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and Tour and also appeared in Sweeney Todd on Broadway; Keith Buterbaugh who played Raoul on Broadway in Phantom of the Opera and also covered The Phantom, and co-starrred in the Tony Award-winning Company.

The evening will also  feature Joseph Gray, who has been the opening act at Amatuer Night at the Apollo for 25 years; Paige Backus and Grace Hutchinson who are the recipients of the Connecticut Dance School Kevin Gray Scholarship - given in honor of Dodie Pettit’s late husband who was on Broadway as The Phantom of the Opera and the King in King and I. The people who spearheaded this star studded evening, Dodie Pettit and Rex Fowler, will also be performing as Aztec Two-Step 2.0 Beth Ertz who has orchestrated for celebrities Barbra Steisand, Willie Nelson and Placido Damingo among many others will be music director for the evening.

When asked why they wished to contribute to this evening and to draw attention to the work of Sandy Hook Promise, the artists were effusive in their support. Dodie Pettit related that "The Sandy Hook tragedy never left my heart and consciousness. Six weeks after the Sandy Hook tragedy, I lost my husband (Broadway star Kevin Gray) to a heart attack; so that time period is stamped into my soul forever. I am fortunate to have remarried in 2018 to Rex Fowler, and we were recently asked to participate in the filming of "A Father's Promise.” In the process, I realized I needed to do more, much more. This concert is just that."

Frank Mastrone recalls, “The day the tragedy in Sandy Hook took place, I was rehearsing a holiday show with over 100 elementary school children at Stamford High School. News came over our phones and we didn’t know what to do. We decided to continue the rehearsal and the event because we didn’t want the fear and sadness to win. I feel the same way today, knowing those young victims would be of HS graduating age. We cannot let the hate and sadness win. That is how we can honor all the victims of senseless violence.”

Keith Buterbaugh explains, “I am morally responsible as an adult for the safety of children. My hope is that this small contribution to a larger community will help achieve that.”

Terry Eldh, who lives in Connecticut states, “The Sandy Hook tragedy happened in my backyard. Anything I can do to prevent another is a priority for me.”

Paige Backus, a student at Connecticut Dance school says, “I am dancing for the Sandy Hook Promise cause because more young adults my age should be educated on this topic instead of avoiding it. Hesitating to take action against gun violence causes it to happen more often. School should be a place where students feel safe, not where there is constant fear.”

The fundraiser is co-produced by Dodie Pettit, Ben Frimmer, and Lorie Lewis of Wings4Peace. Dodie is an actress, singer, dancer, and musician. She was an Original Broadway Cast member of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, completing a six-year run of the show, including a three-year US National Tour as understudy to the role of Christine Daae. Prior to this, she performed in CATS on Broadway and in the National Tour of the Tony Winning show Titanic. 

Ben Frimmer is a producer, director, and theatre arts educator with over thirty years of experience. He holds a BFA in acting from Ithaca College and an MA in educational theatre from NYU. Mr. Frimmer serves on the board of The Westport Country Playhouse and produced their events An Evening with Justin Paul & Friends with Kelli O’Hara & James Naughton and directed and produced for Voices for Volunteers. Ben has also served as assistant to the producer for The TONY Award Show in New York. As a director he has been responsible for over 50 productions with both children and adults and is thrilled to be working on this important fundraising show.

Lorie Lewis is the Founder of Wings4Peace, a national movement that seeks to infuse peace into America’s gun violence epidemic, raising funds and awareness by producing visual and performing arts initiatives. A longtime participant and patron of the arts, Lorie spent many years of her life on stage in musicals and choirs. She is now behind the scenes building a community of peace through the arts - fulfilling her personal mission to harness the power of the Arts as a way to connect, heal, challenge, and transform. She holds a Master of Arts in Arts Management and a Bachelor’s degree in English. Learn more: wings4peace.com

“The Best of Broadway” is proudly sponsored by Moffly Media, Lamar Advertising, Wings4Peace and Westport Downtown Association. Contact co-producer Lorie Lewis at graypet@aol.com if you are interested in sponsoring the event, offering a monetary or in-kind donation, or advertising in the program. 

For TICKETS, full cast list and more information, visit broadwaypromise.com 

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CONTACT:

Best of Broadway Contact:

Lorie Lewis  |  lslewis24@gmail.com  |  703.887.5453

Lynn Manuell lynnmanuell@aol.com 917-868-1288

Sandy Hook Promise Contact:

Nick Dmitrovich | nick.dmitrovich@sandyhookpromise.org | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279 

About Sandy Hook Promise

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.