Neil Sedaka. Courtesy photo.
New York, NY — To help lift spirits during the worldwide lockdown while providing a lively musical event, Step Forward Entertainment is producing a special virtual concert celebrating the music of the legendary artist, Neil Sedaka to benefit The Actors Fund Covid-19 Relief efforts.
The concert titled, “Steppin Forward Virtually to Celebrate the Music of the Legendary Neil Sedaka” will be streamed on Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st at 7pm EDT, 4pm PDT and repeated on Thursday, June 25th at 10pm EDT, 7pm PDT, presented by Robert R. Blume/Step Forward Entertainment and Pat Labez, in coop- eration with both Neil Sedaka Music and The Actors Fund. Krystin Goodwin, TV/Film actress and Fox reporter covering Entertainment and Trending News on Sirius XM Radio will serve as host.
The concert will feature 17 artists, in 15 performances, consisting of clients & friends of Step Forward Entertain- ment performing from their homes while in lockdown. All the songs performed in the concert were written by Neil Sedaka with either Howard Greenfield or Phil Cody.
Neil Sedaka will lead off the concert with a special, introductory message from home.
The virtual concert, presented free of charge, will be streamed on broadwayworld.com, and will also be available on other platforms including YouTube and Facebook Live. Optional donations can be made to benefit The Actors Fund.
The international array of artists performing in the concert include a Lucille Lortel Award winner, a Drama Desk nominee, a Billboard chart album jazz pianist, recording artists, award-winning cabaret artists and Network TV / Film actors. In order of appearance, with the song they will be performing, are Renn Woods (You Mean Everything To Me), Justin Senense (I Go Ape), Paola Morales (The Immigrant), Denise Kara (Calendar Girl), Soara-Joye Ross (The Hungry Years), Xiaoqing (Mao) Zhang (Stupid Cupid), Emma Campbell (My Friend), Nina Martinez (Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen), Kea Chan (Where The Boys Are), Kayla Merrow (The Diary), Mitch Week (Rosemary Blue), Pat Labez (Run Samson Run), Anthony Salvador Lewis (Breaking Up Is Hard To Do), Gloria Papin (Solitaire), Marissa Mulder and Jon Weber (Love Will Keep Us Together).
For additional dates, showtimes and links to watch, plus a virtual program on the performers, visit www.steppinforwardnyc.com. For more information on The Actors Fund or to make a donation, visit www.actorsfund.org/stepforward
About Neil Sedaka — Singer, songwriter, composer, pianist and author, Neil Sedaka’s impressive 60-year career ranges from being one of the first teen pop sensations of the 50’s, a tunesmith for himself and other artists in the 60’s, an international superstar in the 70’s, remaining a constant force in writing and performing presently. This is all thanks to the countless songs he has written, performed and produced that continue to inspire artists and audiences around the world.
About The Actors Fund — The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services. Visit www.actorsfund.org/stepforward
About Step Forward Entertainment — An entertainment production and talent management company headquartered in New York City which also repre- sents clients in Los Angeles, Florida and other areas in the U.S. Founded by renowned producer/talent manager, Robert R. Blume, the company was established on the principles of transparency and trust. With strong roots on Broadway as an Executive Producer of the annual Drama Desk Awards from 1999 to 2018, Blume saw the oppor- tunity to share his experience to develop and present talent in addition to producing TV, film and theatre. Step Forward Entertainment has a strong track record of developing and placing talent of all ages and experience levels in all types of productions.
About the Artists (in order of appearance):
- Krystin Goodwin is currently is a TV/Film actress and FOX News Headlines reporter covering and Trending News on Sirius XM Radio. As an on-air personality, she was a reporter for FOX Sports Florida; a news anchor for the CBS Tallahassee, FL WCTV Eyewitness News and her work appears on USA Today, MSN, The Huff- ington Post, and Yahoo among many others. As an actress, she had a recurring role as a reporter on the CBS shows Tommy and Bull; TV Co-star appearances on Netflix’s The Politician and Orange is the New Black; NBC’s The Blacklist and American Odyssey; FOX’s The Following; and TNT’s Franklin and Bash; and played a reporter on the Paramount film Bumblebee a spinoff from the Transformers series. Krystin is The Host.
- Renn Woods was a child star and teen heartthrob best known for her roles at “Fanta” in the TV mini-se- ries, Roots. She also performed in the musical Hair and played “Dorothy” in the first national Broadway tour of The Wiz. Other film roles include The Jerk, Car Wash in addition to the TV series, Beauty and the Beast. Woods, with a musical track produced by Michael Raye, will perform You Mean Everything To Me.
- Justin Senense, American actor/singer of Philippine heritage. He was the lead in the award-winning indie short film, Howard, and has nationally and internationally toured in the musical theatre productions of Rent, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Hair. Senense performs I Go Ape.
- Paola Morales is a Latina actress born and raised in Camuy, Puerto Rico who recently joined the New York workforce just prior to the pandemic after earning her Musical Theatre degree at Manhattanville College in Westchester, New York. Morales will perform The Immigrant.
- Denise Kara, a 10-year-old who has been performing since she was 4 years old. She has made a name for herself in the Filipino-American community as a live performer who recently graced the cover of FILAM Magazine. She recently performed live at The Green Room 42 and sings, dances and writes original songs. Kara, accompanied by Bobby DeLeon on piano and synthesizer, will perform Calendar Girl.
- Soara-Joye Ross recently starred in both Carmen Jones at CSC and Promenade at City Center NY. She has also performed in many other live shows including the lead role of “Reno Sweeney” in the Arena Stage production of Anything Goes! Her TV appearances include the new HBO show, The Flight Attendant. Ross performs The Hungry Years.
- Xiaoqing (Mao) Zhang is a musical theatre and TV actress from China and now resides in the U.S. She has starred as a leading lady in many musicals including the Mandarin premiere of Avenue Q, Mama Loves Me Again and Spiral Show in China and Eastbound and The Emperor’s Nightingale in New York. She was a well-known singer on Chinese TV. Zhang will perform Stupid Cupid.
- Emma Campbell, a New Yorker originally from LA, is a character actor performing varied comical and clas- sical roles in plays and musicals in addition to working with various companies. Emma will be debuting her NY cabaret act, directed by legendary cabaret performer Marilyn Maye, after the pandemic is over. Campbell will perform My Friend.
- Nina Martinez is a TV and Film actress as well as an award-winning BMI singer/songwriter. She was part of the Do the Right Thing tour with Radio Disney and is a 3-time winner at Showtime at the Apollo in New York. Martinez will perform Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.
- Kea Chan, a New Yorker originally hailing from the Philippines. She has appeared on TV and has regularly performed in The Green Room 42 and other New York cabarets with a featured appearance at the Orle- ans Arena in Las Vegas. Chan performs Where the Boys Are.
- Kayla Merrow, a 19-year-old New Jersey college student is a triple threat – actor/singer/dancer. She be- came a professional performer two months prior to the pandemic. With a focus on musical theater and TV, she has played leads in school musicals and has won competitions. Merrow will perform The Diary.
- Mitch Week is an award-winning recording artist who had her first album released at the end of 2019 titled “Love Like This” which included the single, “You Try.” A recipient of many awards, Week has shared the stage with well-known Philippine musicians, singers and actors performing in the U.S. Week will per- form Rosemary Blue.
- Pat Labez is a Hawaii-raised performer and working actress debuting in the original Magnum P.I. on CBS in addition to recent roles in New Amsterdam on NBC and Blue Bloods on CBS. She is executive producer of the award-winning short film, Howard, and associate producer on this concert. Labez will perform Run Samson Run.
- Anthony Salvador Lewis was a known musical performer within the NY-NJ Filipino-American community in addition to his acting career. His recent TV appearances include Tommy on CBS; Billions on Show- time; Alternatino on Comedy Central; a recurring role on Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix; and in film, he played a key role in the remake of the Roger Corman film thriller, Dementia 13. Lewis will perform Break- ing Up Is Hard To Do.
- Gloria Papin has traveled the world performing as part of the Philippine super group, The Papin Sis-
ters with her sisters Imelda and Aileen. As a soloist, Gloria as a recording artist, has released many albums over the years and recently played the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in addition to nationally touring with her Karen Carpenter Tribute Show. Papin will perform Solitaire. - Marissa Mulder and Jon Weber will close out the concert. Mulder is an award-winning cabaret singer based in Manhattan. The New York Times called her show “Tom… in his words, the songs of Tom Waits, far and away the season’s best cabaret show, everything the genre can be but almost never is.” Weber, the pianist member of the duo has hosted the NPR series Piano Jazz and has recorded and toured all over the world, while scoring extensively for television since 1987. He has released two jazz albums Jazz Wagon and Simple Complex. Mulder and Weber perform Love Will Keep Us Together.