Love and Gratitude

LOVE SONGS for V-Day Volume 3 is coming up.

For those of you who aren't familiar, V-Day is a movement that was sparked by Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues.

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery.

LOVE SONGS for V-Day is a concert where performers from across the city come to celebrate this cause. And Eve. And music. And love. We sing, we laugh, we smile,  we dazzle the audience, and then we donate a portion of the proceeds to V-Day.

It's this Saturday, February 13th, at Feinstein's/54 Below at 9:30pm. A limited amount of tickets are available here.

And while I should probably be writing another press release, or fixing schedules…I'm sitting here, typing this post.

(I mean let's be honest - it's 3AM - I should be going to bed.)

But I have gratitude on my mind, and I cannot sleep.

For it takes a village to put on a theatrical production.

And if you're lucky…that village is your tribe.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, they know your beats. Your heart beats. Your brain beats. Your creative beats.

They share the same dreams.

If you're lucky, you are surrounded by a tribe of people who are willing to put in blood, sweat, tears, laughter, love, heart, and all the nitty gritty feelings I can't quite put into words.

I think theatre is just that - all those moments in life that can't put into words. The moments that the most truly eloquent string of sylabbles still cannot encapsulate.

See, if you're lucky, you are surrounded by a tribe that becomes your cheerleader, your confidante, your sounding board.

If you're lucky, you are surrounded by souls who do not judge you should you send an email with a great idea at 2am.

No, they are the folks who get just as excited about said idea.

In my perfect world, I would hold this concert every year with each and every musician, performer, and composer who has participated in years past.

It would be huge.

It would be great.

It would make Eve Ensler proud.

It would be a reminder to the artistic community, and the world, that we are more connected than we seem to realize. That it does no good to draw lines in the sand to seperate us all - for an eagerness to divide, rather than unite, is not progression it's just…regression.

But alas, we have not booked Carnegie Hall or Radio City Music Hall…

...yet.

And so I am not able to include the everyone who's been a part of the growing tribe that is Love Songs for V-Day past and present.

But, I'd be remiss in not thanking them. Each and every year this concert grows beyond my wildest expecations, and it's because of the love of this tribe.

So thank you, 

Loni Ackerman, Tracee Beazer Barrett, Anna Ty Bergman, Will Buck, Micah Burgess, Maddie Shea Baldwin, Alex Brightman, Virginia Cavaliere, Max Crumm, Carmel Dean, Ariana DeBose, Lauren Elder, Jessica Lara Finney, Drew Gasparini, Samantha Gershman, Kerri George, Jessica Howard, Siri Howard, Joe Iconis, Melissa Rose Hirsch, Jessica Kahkoska, Hannah Kloepfer, TJay Kowalchuk, Dave LeBlanc, Meredith Lesley, Lauren Marcus, Angelo McDonough, Happy McPartlin, Marisa Miller, Ashley Moniz, Jessica Mortellaro, T.J. Newton, Taylor Noble, Chika Obiora, Ryan Scott Oliver, Drew Overcash, Alexander Sage Oyen, Josh Pemberton, Krista Pioppi, Olivia Polci, JP Qualters, Max Quinlan, Benjamin Rauhala, Peter Romagna, Rob Rokicki, Mike Rosengarten, Krysta Rodriguez, Andrea Ross, Anthony Rubbo, Monet Sabel, Zoe Sarnak, Dave Schoonover, Abigail Shapiro, Milly Shapiro, Taylor Sorice, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Katie Thompson, Emily Tyra, Stephanie Turci, Christopher Lee Viljoen, Michelle Veintimilla, Alan Wiggins, Natalie Weiss, and Nat Zegree.

This year, Broadway's season includes Eclipsed, Waitress, On Your Feet, and The Color Purple.

This year, women like Lupita Nyong'o and Phillipa Soo and Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasime Cephas Jones are making history.

This year, I'm once again producing and directing the third annual LOVE SONGS for V-Day at Feinstein's/54 Below, where on  February 13th a group of beautiful and talented and amazing artists will gather at Broadway's Supper Club to celebrate love and life and the message of Eve Ensler's work.

Last year, I featured a cast of all female performers.

This year, the evening will feature music written solely by women musical theatre composers. Because they deserve to be celebrated. Because their words are wonderful. Because women are shaping the landscape of musical theatre. Because women are shaping the world as we know it.

Because it's the year of the woman. The girl. The old lady.

Because it's the year for us all.

#LoveVDAY54