The Living for Today Archives

We couldn't produce the Living for Today concert series without the time, talents, and heart of the Broadway community. Please support them when you can! They are: CAMERON ADAMS (Hello Dolly, How to Succeed, Music Man, Shrek), NICK ADAMS (Priscilla, A Chorus Line, Chicago), SCOTT ALAN (Composer), ERIC ANDERSON (Waitress, Soul Doctor, Rocky, Kinky Boots), NANCY ANDERSON (Olivier Award Nominee, Kiss Me Kate, Wonderful Town), DENEE BENTON (Tony Award Nominee for Natasha, Pierre…, Hamilton), CANDICE BERGEN (Emmy Award Winner “Murphy Brown”), ELIZABETH BROADHURST (Annie, Mary Poppins), TODD BUONOPANE (30 Rock, Spelling Bee), TITUSS BURGESS (Emmy-Nominee 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,' ’30 Rock,’ Guys & Dolls, The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys), NICK RASHAD BURROUGHS (Kinky Boots, King Kong), KERRY BUTLER (Tony-Nominee Xanudu, Hairspray, Mean Girls), BEN CAMERON (Wicked, Aida), ALISON CASE (Hair, Mamma Mia), JOE CASSIDY (IF/THEN, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Showboat), MAX CRUMM (Grease, Disaster), LILLI COOPER (Spongebob, Spring Awakening), STEPHANIE D’ABRUZZO (Tony Nominee ofAvenue Q, “Scrubs”) , JIM DALE (Tony Winner of Barnum, “Pete’s Dragon”), JANET DACAL (In the Heights, Wonderland), ERIN DAVIE (Grey Gardens, Side Show, A Little Night Music), MADELEINE DOHERTY (Sister Act, The Producers), NIKKI RENEE DANIELS (Book of Mormon, Porgy & Bess, Anything Goes), BEN DAVIS (Violet, A Little Night Music), PAIGE DAVIS (Chicago, Sweet Charity, ‘Trading Spaces’), DAISY EAGAN (Tony Award Winner for The Secret Garden), JOHN TREACY EGAN (Sister Act, The Producers, Little Mermaid), DANIEL EVERIDGE (Grease), RUSSELL FISCHER (Jersey Boys, BIG the Musical), CARMEN RUBY FLOYD (After Midnight), KATHRYN GALLAGHER (Spring Awakening, Jagged Little Pill), NATHAN LEE GRAHAM (The Wild Party, “Zoolander”), DAVID R. GORDON (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Flashdance), KATE JENNINGS GRANT (Proof, Guys & Dolls, Frost/Nixon), JESSICA GROVÉ (Wizard of Oz, Millie, Sunday in the Park, A Little Night Music), LENA HALL (Tony-Winner of Hedwig..., Kinky Boots, Tarzan), CARLA J. HARGROVE (Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray), AUTUMN HURLBERT(Legally Blonde), MATTHEW HYDZIK (The Cher Show, Side Show, West Side Story), TRISHA JEFFREY (Little Shop of Horrors. Motown), CARLY JIBSON (Hairspray, Crybaby), NICHOLAS KOHN (Avenue Q), LaCHANZE (Tony-Winner of The Color Purple, Once on this Island), TAMIKA LAWRENCE (If/Then, The Book of Mormon, Matilda), AARON LAZAR (A Little Night Music, Les Miz, Light in the Piazza), TONY LEPAGE (Rock of Ages), LESLI MARGHERITA (Olivier Award Winner, Matilda) EVERIDGE (Grease)TRACY McDOWELL (Rent, Motown), IDINA MENZEL (Tony-Winner ofWicked, Rent, If/Then, Frozen), BONNIE MILLIGAN (Head Over Heels), ERIC WILLIAM MORRIS (Mamma Mia), DeQUINA MOORE (Legally Blonde, Little Shop, “Camp”), KATE MULGEW ("Orange is the New Black," "Star Trek"), TAM MUTU (Doctor Zhivago), BEBE NEUWIRTH (Tony Award winner, Chicago, Damn Yankees, “Frasier”), JACK NOSEWORTHY (Sweet Smell of Success), EMILY PADGETT (Side Show, Bright Star), JILL PAICE (Curtains, 39 Steps), AMANDA RYAN PAIGE (Zanna Don’t), MICHAEL POTTS (Book of Mormon, Grey Gardens), RANDY RAINBOW (YouTube Sensation), JONATHAN RAYSON (Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde), RYANN REDMOND (If/Then, Bring it On), COURTNEY REED (Aladdin, In the Heights), KATE REINDERS (Wicked, Gypsy, Something Rotten), ALICE RIPLEY (Tony-Winner of Next to Normal, Side Show, Tommy), DARREN RITCHIE (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Wonderland), BEN DAVIS (Violet, A Little Night Music), WILL ROLAND (Dear Evan Hansen, Be More Chill), GRAHAM ROWAT (Guys & Dolls, LoveMusik), JESSICA RUSH (Jersey Boys, Gypsy, Guys & Dolls), CEASAR SAMAYOA (Come From Away, Sister Act), LaQUET SHARNELL(Lysistrata Jones, Memphis, The Lion King), KATE SHINDLE (Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Miss America), SHUBERT ALLEY, THE SKIVVIES, BRITTON SMITH (Shuffle Along, After Midnight), JAMES SNYDER (If/Then, Cry-Baby, In Transit), LUCIA SPINA (Legally Blonde, Les Miz, Spelling Bee), STEPHEN SPINELLA (Two-time Tony Award winner ofAngels in America, Spring Awakening), JASON MICHAEL SNOW (Book of Mormon, South Pacific), TESS SOLTAU (Wicked, Addams Family), ANNE FRASER THOMAS (Broadway Inspirational Voices), DANIEL TORRES (Evita, Wicked, Beautiful), STEPHANIE UMOH (Ragtime), ERIC VAN TIELEN (Tale of Two Cities, Les Miz), ALYSHA UMPHRESS (On the Town, American Idiot), MAX VON ESSEN (Evita, Les Miz, American in Paris), JIM WALTON (Merrily We Roll Along, Company, And the World Goes Round, Crazy for You), CORREY WEST (South Pacific), CODY WILLIAMS (Cinderella, On the Town), VANESSA WILLIAMS (Emmy, Tony, Grammy Nominee, Into the Woods, ...Spiderwoman), AMOS WOLFF (Follies, Chicago), BETSY WOLFE (Waitress, Bullets Over Broadway), TONY YAZBECK (On the Town, Chorus Line, Gypsy) and many more!

The First Annual LIVING FOR TODAY: October 12, 2008

In 2008, about a year after moving to the city, and just short of a year of Gilana's death, brother David gathered some friends and musical director David Dabbon to put on a concert to benefit what was then the Gilana Shira Alpert Fund.  The concert, held at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York City, sold out and featured an impressive roster of Broadway talent including Lena Hall, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Kate Reinders, Carly Jibson, Daniel Torres, Lucia Spina, Todd Buonope, Jessica Grové, Eric Van Tielen, and Elizabeth Broadhurst, and many other friends.  The cast sang their favorite showtunes, and Dabbon created a custom arrangement of John Lennon's "Imagine," a song Gilana loved and one that features the lyric "...imagine all the people, living for today."  Check out the Playbill article HERE.  

The Second Annual LIVING FOR TODAY: October 25, 2009

After the success of the first concert, David produced the Second Annual LIVING FOR TODAY concert in 2009, again at the Laurie Beechman Theater.  The evening featured the talents of Tituss Burgess, Nick Adams, Lena Hall, Cameron Adams, Sol Baird, Scott Alan, Todd Buonopane, Ben Cameron, Lilli Cooper, Amanda Ryan Paige, Autumn Hurlbert, Amy Persons, LaQuet Sharnell, and was again hosted by Chris Blisset.  Joshua Stephen Kartes served as musical director.

LIVING FOR TODAY: Act One Closers: October 24, 2010

In 2010, the concert series began structuring the night around a central 'theme,' the 3rd Annual concert being comprised of "Act One Closers."  The set list was presented by an incredible group of Broadway stars including Paige Davis, Nancy Anderson, Lena Hall, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ben Cameron, Tituss Burgess, Graham Rowat, John Treacy Egan, Kate Shindle, Nikki Renee Daniels, Russell Fischer, Kate Jennings Grant, Jill Paice, & Jonathan Rayson.  The night featured musical direction by Michael Potsic.  Check out the Playbill press release HERE, and production photos HERE. 

LIVING FOR TODAY: First Name Basis: October 17, 2011

In 2011, the "Living for Today" concert began announcing the recipients of Gilana's Fund from the stage--in its first year, two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella announced the Fund recipients.  The theme was "First Name Basis," and the Broadway stars who came out to sing were:  Lena Hall, Allison Case, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Janet Dacal, Madeleine Doherty,  Daniel Everidge, Autumn Hurlbert. Aaron Lazar, Darren Ritchie, Steve Rosen, Jessica Rush, Jason Michael Snow, Lucia Spina, Stephanie Umoh, Max Von Essen, Jim Walton, Correy West (South Pacific) and Amos Wolff. The night featured musical direction by Nate Patten.  Check out the Playbill press release HERE, and production photos HERE. 

LIVING FOR TODAY:  Back to the Drawing Board:  January 28, 2013

Originally scheduled for October 2012, Hurricane Sandy moved the 5th Annual concert to January of 2013.  The night featured songs from animated movies, and Emmy Award winner Candice Bergen announced the recipients of Gilana's Fund.  The concert was again held at Joe's Pub and featured Kerry Butler, Tituss Burgess, Courtney Reed, Alysha Umphress, Jack Noseworthy, Tess Soltau, Autumn Hurlbert, Hannah Elless, Tony Yazbeck, David R. Gordon, Amy Persons, and Shubert Alley. Michael Potts hosted the concert, with Jason Wetzel as music director.  Check out the Playbill press release HERE and production photos HERE.    

LIVING FOR TODAY: My Favorite Things: January 19, 2014

The 6th Annual LIVING FOR TODAY Concert was held on January 19, and featured an amazing lineup including Vanessa Williams announcing the fund recipients, Idina Menzel, Alice Ripley, Eric Anderson, Tony Yazbeck, Kerry Butler, LaChanze, Julia Murney, The Skiivies, Nick Kohn, Autumn Hurlbert, Eric William Morris, Hannah Elless, and reunited the 'urchins' from the Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. Check out the wonderful write-up from Playbill HERE, photos from the red carpet HERE, and production photos HERE.  

LIVING FOR TODAY: Shing-a-Ling: A Night with the Broadway Urchins: October 27, 2014

On October 27, the 7th Annual LIVING FOR TODAY Concert reunited the urchins from the Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, Carla J. Hargrove, Trisha Jeffrey, & DeQuina Moore, for a night starring them.  The evening, hosted by Joe Cassidy, featured Academy Award nominee and Tony & Grammy-Award winner Jim Dale announcing the recipients of Gilana's Fund. Check out the Playbill press release HERE.  

LIVING FOR TODAY: LFTR&H: October 25, 2015

The 8th Annual #LFTConcert celebrated the songbook of Rodgers & Hammerstein.  The concert was held on October 25, 2015, and was hosted by TV and stage's Paige Davis.  The line up included Eric Anderson, Ben Cameron, Jessica Rush, Ryann Redmond, Tam Mutu, Emily Padgett, Tony LePage, Nick Adams, Erin Davie, Matthew Hydzik, Cody Williams, Carmen Ruby Floyd, & Alysha Umphress. Check out the Playbill press release HERE.  

LIVING FOR TODAY: My First Time: October 30, 2016

The 9th Annual #LFTConcert had all of the Broadway performers singing from the first Broadway show they ever saw.  It was once again held at Joe's Pub, and was hosted by Ben Cameron and starred Alice Ripley, The Doo Wop Project, Amber Iman, Andy Kelso, Janine DiVita, Autumn Hurlbert, Liz McCartney, Carmen Ruby Floyd, & Alysha Umphress. Check out the Playbill press release HERE.  

LIVING FOR TODAY: Celebrates Acceptance: October 23, 2017

The 10th Annual #LFTConcert celebrated its 10th Anniversary with an evening featuring songs about acceptance.  Presented at Joe's Pub, Kate Mulgrew announced the 2017 Gilana's Fund recipients, and the starry company included Tony Award winners Daisy Eagan, Lena Hall, Alice Ripley, as well as Tamika Lawrence, Will Roland, James Snyder, Max Crumm, Bonnie Milligan, Ben Davis, Kathryn Gallagher, Britton Smith, Tracy McDowell, Anne Fraser Thomas, Caesar Samayoa, and Jayson Kerr & Kai An Chee. Check out the Playbill press release HERE.  

LIVING FOR TODAY: And All That Jazz: October 1, 2018

The 11th Annual #LFTConcert kicked off its next decade of concerts by celebrating the work of the incredible song-writing team of Kander and Ebb, headlined by Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth, who not only announced the 2018 Gilana’s Fund recipients, but also wowed the audience by singing “All That Jazz.” In addition to Ms. Neuwirth, the concert featured Denée Benton, Lesli Margherita, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Nathan Lee Graham, Autumn Hurlbert, Matthew Hydzik , DeQuina Moore, Betsy Wolfe, and Cacophony Daniels. Check out photos HERE.