4th Annual Broadway & Ballet HERO Awards

I'm excited to see my longtime friend Rachelle Rak being honored at this year's Broadway & Ballet HERO Awards.

I've known Rachelle, a force of nature, for 30 years. And the LGBT community could not have a more staunch ally :)

Via press release:

HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) is proud to present the fourth annual Broadway & Ballet HERO Awards on October 16th at 8pm at Stage 48, 605 West 48th Street. This year’s honorees are Broadway star and legend Rachelle Rak, and ABT principal and international ballet star, James Whiteside. Receiving the John Adams HERO Award for best Broadway debut is the star of Wicked, Michael Campayno, and the 2017 HERO Partner Award will be presented to The Jed Foundation (JED) for protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults, helping them grow into healthy thriving adults.

This spectacular event will feature 15 original performances and a cast of over 30 stars from the worlds of Broadway and ballet including: (honorees) Rachelle Rak (Fosse, Sweet Charity, Broadway Hero Awardee), Michael Campayno (Wicked, John Adams HERO Awardee), ABT Principal and International ballet star, James Whiteside (Ballet Hero Awardee), Casey Trenary (ABT Soloist), Michael-Leon Wooley (Little Shop of Horrors, American Buffalo, The Princess and the Frog), Michael Cusumano (All Shook Up, Chicago, American in Paris), Patrick Boyd (Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Gypsy, Touch: A Love Story), Sean Stewart (American Ballet Theatre), Alina Faye (American Ballet Theatre alumni), Jose Sebastian (American Ballet Theatre), Luis Villabon (A Chorus Line), Morgan Stinnett (soloist with Connecticut Ballet, member of Ajkun Ballet Company), Cristy Candler (Rock of Ages, Chicago), Georgina Pazcoguin (New York City Ballet Soloist), Brandon Leffler (Wicked, On The Town, Cinderella), Chris Messina (Jersey Boys, A Bronx Tale), Jesse JP Johnson (Wicked), Neil Starkenberg (Mamma Mia), Travis Nesbitt (Alter Boys), Seeley Stephens (American Idol Finalist), Evan Lacombe (The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall), Gabrielle Salvatto (Ballet West Demi Soloist), special performances by principal dancers from Ballet West, Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics, Icaurs-Ioannis Melissananidis, The Boy Band Project, the dance department of Pace University with an opening number choreographed by Madeline Rodrigue, and more!

The show will be hosted by Matty Maggiacomo (Television Journalist and Brand Manager of Barry’s Boot Camp), with technical direction from Tommy Mazza, produced by Stephen Leff. Sponsors include; Logo, NewNowNext.com, Biem- Biemteam.com (mobile phone STD care), DRA (Dancers Responding to AIDS), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and Hugh Hysell- TheMenEvent.com. Tickets are $25 for General Admission and $100 for VIP Seated and are available at www.hivhero.org.

Rachelle Rak

"Nicknamed “Sas”, Rachelle began her dance training at the age of 2 under the direction of her mother, Rosalene, at the Rosalene Kenneth Professional Dance Studio in Pittsburgh. She is labeled a Triple Threat on Broadway for her immeasurable talent in dance, singing, and acting. Rachelle was presented with an award by Dance Educators of America for her contribution to the world of dance. She has had a huge impact on the Broadway Community. A few of her impressive credits, include leading roles in: “Fosse”, “Sweet Charity”, “Flashdance”, “The Jack Cole Project”, “Chicago”, “A Chorus Line”, “Catch Me If You Can”,” Cats”,” Starlight Express”, “West Side Story”, “Smokey Joe’s Café”, “Trip of Love”, “Thou Shalt Not”,” Oklahoma!”, “The Look of Love”, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “Sessions”, and “An Evening at the Carlyle." Choreography credits include Norwegian Cruise Lines, Off Broadway: "An Evening at the Carlyle” and "Sessions”-Additional Choreography, Lifetime: “Dance Moms”, Fringe Festive “Vote the Musical” Benefits: “Broadway Bares”, Concerts: Staging for Cheyenne Jackson-Carnegie Hall. Her One-woman show “I’m In” Le Poisson Rouge, Nightclub shows “The Love Fest”, “Splash Around The World”, “VaVoom,” and web series on Broadway.com” I Love Rak n Roll”.

James Whiteside

James Whiteside joined the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet in 2003 and became a second soloist in 2006. He was promoted to first soloist in 2008 and to principal dancer with Boston Ballet in 2009. Whiteside then joined American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in September 2012 and was named a Principal Dancer in October 2013. Whiteside’s repertoire with Boston Ballet included Principal roles in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Coppélia, Ballo della Regina, Rubies, The Four Temperaments (Sanguinic), Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Who Cares?, Serenade, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Symphony in 3, and La Valse; Maina Gielgud’s Giselle; Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake; John Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet; Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty and Raymonda Act III; Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies; Jirí Kylián’s Bella Figura, Sarabande, Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze; Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room; Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes. He created roles in Jorma Elo’s Brake the Eyes, Plan to B, Carmen, Slice to Sharper, and In On Blue; Helen Pickett’s Eventide and Etesian; and Mark Morris’ Up & Down. His repertoire with the American Ballet Theatre includes Principal roles in La Bayadere, Cinderella, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, The Dream, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Raymonda Divertissements, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Sylvia, The Tempest, and Manon, as well as roles in Bach Partita, Gong, Theme and Variations, Duo Concertant, Fancy Free, Chamber Symphony, Sinfonietta, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, In the Upper Room, With A Chance of Rain, and Symphony in C.

Michael Campayno

A Pittsburgh native and recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Michael Campayno made his Broadway debut in Wicked in the role of Fiyero. He debuted on television as Rolf in NBC’s live telecast of The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood and can be heard on the cast recording. His stage credits include Carnegie Mellon University productions as well as productions at Pittsburgh CLO; he also played Lancelot opposite Robert Sean Leonard in Camelot. Film: Cheerleader.

About JED

JED is a nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. JED partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention programs and systems. JED equips teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other and encourages community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health. Learn More at jedfoundation.com

About HERO

HIV Experience Resources Organization (HERO) is a completely volunteer-based non-profit 501(3)(c) organization founded in 2009 by Michael Cavnaugh, former vice president of Event Presentation at Madison Square Garden. HERO helps people find the most pressing, up-to-date information available critical to their health, including sharing extensive video coverage from current national and international AIDS conferences. HERO’s websites, HIVhero.org and HEROnews.org, provide local, national, and international resources and interactive tools which provide assistance in finding doctors, getting medication, mental health counseling, housing, financial assistance, medical insurance, and much more. It also serves as a portal site providing free content and video production, promoting the services, activities, and fundraising efforts of many community/partner organizations, including red carpet coverage of high profile events and one-on-one interviews. Seen throughout their video archive and messaging, HERO founded the #condomsarehot movement, with the help of stars such as Angela Lansbury, Matt Bomer, Mary Louise-Parker, Rosie Perez, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Blythe Danner, and many more to build more awareness for sexual health and STD prevention.

NYC: Rachelle Rak "Sas With One S" at 54 Below

Broadway and TV's Rachelle Rak

In her world premiere show, Sas with One S, one of my favorite performers/talents/personalities -  Rachelle Rak - shares her strength, passion, and "Sas" with you.

Rachelle (or, "The Diva Rak") has been performing in Broadway shows for over two decades. Her credits include Cats, Fosse, Thou Shalt Not, Oklahoma!, The Look of Love, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Catch Me If You Can.

Ferociously 44 and proud of it, Rachelle has worked with some of the most talented people in show business. And this time, she's telling the stories! From Broadway to Dance Moms to motherhood and back!

Sas with One S will include songs from Starlight Express, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Fosse, The Jack Cole Project, Rachelle’s signature song “SAS,” and so much more.

I'm telling you now, get out to 54 Below this Sunday at 9:30pm (or put January 29th at 9:30pm on your calendar) and bring your "Sas!"  Click here for ticket information.

Check out Rachelle's music video to her fab signature song, "Sas," followed by her showstopping performance of "I Gotcha" on Broadway in FOSSE.

Broadway's Rachelle Rak to star in The Big Show

Randy Report favorite, Rachelle Rak, will star in The Big Show, an immersive re-imagination of the Eugene O'Neill play Thirst told through the life story of Francis Farmer.

Via Broadway World:

Audiences will be transported to 1950 where they will experience an evening in the rec room at Sunnyland: a hospital for the mentally insane. Inspired by American Horror Story: Asylum and inventively choreographed by Charlie Sutton (Kinky Boots, WICKED) this eerie imaginative new piece features dance and stars Broadway veteran Rachelle Rak (FOSSE, Catch Me If You Can) with Purdie Baumann (SMASH, Radio City Rockette), Kristine Bendul (Cinderella, SMASH, Come Fly Away) and Alex Michael Stoll (Evita, West Side Story).

The Big Show runs Sunday evenings at 7:30pm and Mondays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, August 18, *19 (Double Feature Benefit Performance tickets are $50), 25, 26. Tickets are $18.

The Big Show is part of an exciting fusion of current Broadway talent and accomplished visual artists to be presented byWorking Artists Theatre Project in the gallery space at 210 East 43rd Street this August. This vibrant, provocative, and interactive melange of theatre, dance, music, art, and photography is not to be missed!

Rachelle Rak - "I'M IN"

Rachelle Rak is the ultimate Broadway gypsy. After over twenty years on and off Broadway, Rachelle is now wrapping her indomitable talent, spirit and 'sas' around her own show - I'M IN.

Rachelle is known to NYC audiences as the “I Gotcha Girl” Fosse dancer, the ultimate Gypsy, a rock star and The Broadway Bares Diva. She holds no one title, but you can call her 'Sas.' With I'M IN, Rachelle shares her successes, struggles, heartaches and triumphs through a dynamic score of well-known classics and brand new original songs.

In speaking with Rachelle, she made it clear "this isn't going to be 'stand and sing. I call it an 'event' - 'a night.' You're not going to come watch me go down memory lane."

When asked where the title of the event comes from, Rachelle says "For years everyone's been telling me that I'm "full out." I remember being in rehearsals with Susan Stroman and she would say "mark" and then I'd do the number full-out. The other dancers would say "child, she said 'mark'" and I'd say "I don't know how to 'mark', you know?" And so it got to where I was like "People, I'm 'in' - whatever show I'm in, 'I'm IN' - all the way. No half-way. So if you can't stand next to me, then move."

The event will not only showcase Rachelle's famous 'sas' but also touch on the darker sides of a Broadway actor's life and the sometimes slow periods between Broadway shows.

"For five years I wasn't in a Broadway show. I couldn't get arrested. After (losing the role of Sheila) in the revival of A Chorus Line, it almost broke me and that's when I realized my career was too important in my life. I started to value my worth with what show I was doing. Now I'm doing this for me. I'm a passionate creature. It's what fuels me. That's why "I'M IN."

Rachelle emphasizes that “The ‘everybody gets a medal generation’ has passed. Can you take 'no' for an answer? If not, it’s time to toughen up and speak a new language. In her own special language, Rachelle says "it's time to 'sas' it up with a dose of 'cha cha pus' - I'm IN, are you?"

Rachelle’s credits include  “Cats”, “Fosse”, “Thou Shalt Not”, “Oklahoma!”, “The Look of Love”, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “Catch Me if You Can”, “Sessions” and “An Evening at the Carlyle”.

I've personally known Rachelle for over 20 years and I can personally guarantee you she is a force of nature. GO SEE "I'M IN" - you'll be glad you did. I promise you'll walk out with a smile. And some sas.

The creative team includes Director Daniel Robinson (Broadway’s Hairspray and owner Daniel Robinson Productions), Music Director Steven Jamail (Music Supervisor at Rosie’s Theater Kids), Martyn Axe (Co-Writer) and Brad Musgrove (Costume Designer).

Performances will take place Sunday, January 22nd at 7:00pm and Monday, January 23rd at 10:30pm at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street.

Tickets are $40 for premium seating (limited availability) $30 for reserved seating, and $20 for general admission. Please visit lepoissonrouge.com to purchase tickets.