ROCKERS ON BROADWAY – the annual concert raising money for charities that include pre-professional training and scholarships in the performing arts – has announced that Tony Award winner Debra Monk will make a special appearance at its 31st annual event themed “Back in Time” on Monday, October 28 at 8:00 PM at New York’s Sony Hall (235 West 46th Street). The concert will honor rock legend Huey Lewis and Peter Bradley, Jr. Other newly-announced performers include Gabrielle Elisabeth (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Apollo Levine (MJ The Musical), and Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys, Hairspray). Tickets are available at RockersonBroadway.com or via Sony Hall HERE.
Performers will include Christine Dwyer (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, Waitress, Wicked), Izabelle Gottfried (singer/songwriter), F. Michael Haynie (The Heart of Rock and Roll, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Wicked), Keirsten Hodgens (Six), Tamika Lawrence (The Heart of Rock and Roll; Caroline, or Change; Gettin’ the Band Back Together), Donnie Kehr (The Who’s Tommy, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot), Pomme Koch (The Band’s Visit), Constantine Maroulis (Tony Award nominee for Rock of Ages, Jekyll & Hyde), Lauren “Lolo” Pritchard (Spring Awakening), Ryann Redmond (Once Upon a One More Time, Frozen, Escape to Margaritaville), Max Sangerman (A Beautiful Noise), and Nik Walker (Spamalot, Hamilton, Ain’t Too Proud), in addition to Hadar Baron, Sam Graham, Emily Pandal, and Nick Prez. The evening’s special guests will be singer/songwriter Alexa Ray Joel and Jackie Romeo, from season 25 of NBC TV’s “The Voice.”
Mr. Lewis, the Grammy Award-winning front man of the seminal band Huey Lewis and The News, will receive the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Mr. Bradley, a longtime board member of The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, is this year’s “Ambassador of Rock” honoree.
At ROCKERS ON BROADWAY’s “Back in Time,” we’re rewinding the clock with a fresh twist on rock & roll! This year, we’re spotlighting the infectious energy of Huey Lewis and other iconic artists who have seamlessly bridged the worlds of rock and Broadway. Join us for a dynamic evening filled with unforgettable hits and electrifying performances. Not only will you enjoy an amazing musical journey, but your participation will also support arts education – a cause that nurtures creativity and inspires future generations. Don’t miss out on this night of rock and impact.
ROCKERS ON BROADWAY is presented by The PATH Fund, a leading nonprofit dedicated to performing arts education. The event is sponsored by The Schoch Foundation and Dr. and Mrs. J. Barry Howell.
Proceeds will benefit a consortium of charities, including Broadway Bound Kids, Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, The Felix Organization, Teen Cancer America, and The PATH Fund.
Cori Gardner, executive director of The PATH Fund, and Donnie Kehr, creator of ROCKERS ON BROADWAY,” comment: “Rehearsals have been amazing. I’m blown away by these amazing performers. The audience is in for a real treat on October 28.”
Huey Lewis’s songs were featured in the Broadway musicals The Heart of Rock and Roll and Back to the Future last season. Peter Bradley Jr. has been instrumental in developing The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation’s songwriting retreats to nurture new talent in the music industry.
The PATH Fund, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting arts education. PATH, which stands for “Performing Artists That Help,” is made up of artists, writers, musicians, designers, producers, directors, and fans coming together to aid some of the most important causes to the industry and the public at large.
PATH’s mission statement emphasizes, “Our guiding premise is that as artists, we have a responsibility to nurture our community and empower the next generation in performing arts. We aim to support and inspire artists in finding their artistic path. We are committed to making a positive impact through music and theater and strive to bring people together and create a sense of belonging and connection within our community.”
Huey Lewis is the legendary, Grammy Award-winning front man for one of America’s great rock & roll bands. He has been a central force in the music industry since the early 1980s, when Huey Lewis and The News first shot to superstardom. Formed from two rival Bay Area bands in 1979, The News has been thrilling audiences worldwide for more than 40 years, selling more than 20 million albums in the process. Among their most indelible singles are the top ten hits, “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “Stuck with You,” “I Want a New Drug,” “If This Is It,” “Hip to Be Square,” “Do You Believe in Love,” and “Workin’ for a Livin’.” The group also wrote and performed “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time” for the hit film Back to the Future. “The Power of Love” went on to earn an Academy Award nomination and reach #1 on Billboard’s singles chart. In 2018, The News released Weather, their first album of original material in more than two decades, shortly after Lewis revealed that debilitating hearing loss, caused by a multi-decades-long battle with Meniere’s disease, would likely put an early end to his remarkable singing career. As an actor, he has played Billy Flynn on Broadway in Chicago, co-starred on screen in Duets opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, and guest starred on the sitcom “Hot in Cleveland” several times.
Peter Bradley, Jr. is a former professional musician, retail executive, watch and jewelry expert, and noted music historian. Peter grew up in England with entrepreneurial parents who ran one of the UK’s most respected jewelers, which Peter guides today. From age 11, Peter and his brother Bob began performing in local clubs, playing guitar and singing the harmonies of The Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel. This led to a close, lifelong friendship and mentorship with Don and Phil Everly. Peter moved to London in his teens and signed his first record deal at 16. He fronted an alternative rock band that toured with REM, Radiohead, Elvis Costello, and more. Peter joined the Board of Directors for the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, which grew to be the pre-eminent organization promoting the legacy of this rock pioneer. TBHEF hosts songwriting retreats that feature the world’s most successful songwriters working with emerging talent and has been instrumental in launching the careers of many new writers. At the first retreat, Peter discovered the artist Yungblud and steered the first four years of his career. Peter recently coordinated Yungblud’s performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall for Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend’s Teenage Cancer Trust, raising $400,000. TBHEF now hosts four songwriting retreats each year, including one in Glastonbury, UK, and one in Buddy’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Peter is also a trustee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Teen Cancer America.
