Last night at The Town Hall in New York City, Stars in the House, the inspiring and wildly successful COVID-era digital series that has raised over $2 Million for the Entertainment Community Fund and other organizations in need, commemorated its fifth anniversary with a very special live, and of course livestreamed, show.
In addition to reliving highlights of the series’ most memorable episodes, Stars in the House creators Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson teamed up with FINN creators Chris Nee, Michael Kooman, and Christopher Dimond to present a star-studded one-night-only concert performance of FINN. The critically acclaimed musical’s Kennedy Center national tour was abruptly canceled earlier this year after it premiered to rave reviews.
Participants in the inspiring celebration of arts and humanity included: Andrew Rannells, Michael Urie, Nikki M. James, Kelli O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Jessie Mueller, Bonnie Milligan, Charlotte D’Amboise, Nina West, Peppermint, Adam Pascal, Jose Llana, Brenda Braxton, Hennessy Winkler, Zachary Noah Piser, and Javier Munoz, as well as members of the original Kennedy Center cast of FINN. Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and niece of John F. Kennedy for whom the Kennedy Center was named, delivered powerful remarks about the importance of the arts in a democracy, and recited words from one of her uncle’s most moving speeches. The evening also featured performances by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, whose Kennedy Center appearance was recently canceled, with members of New York City Gay Men’s Chorus joining them in solidarity.
Rudetsky and Jackson opened the program with several exciting announcements. First, “Stars in the House” will return for weekly episodes to continue elevating the voices of marginalized communities and raising awareness for organizations in need, all in a way that brings joy and hope to those tuning in. And second, that “Your Kids, Our Kids,” the 501c3 that Rudetsky and Jackson founded in 2015, will rebrand as “United Voices for Change” to better reflect the wide variety of causes that their work supports. Additional information on both of these announcements will be shared in the coming weeks.
Check out photos from the big night below and watch the show in full here!
Photo Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Stars in the House
Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson
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