News: Broadway Community Joins Healthcare Professionals to Perform “Resilient"


Image courtesy Kampfire PR
The “Resilient Project” unites emergency healthcare professionals from across the country with over 60 Broadway theatre artists to virtually perform "Resilient," a song of inspiration and strength created by Dave Ogrin and Jay Berkow from their new musical Mata Hari. In the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the video premiered on May 12th in honor of Florence Nightingale's Birthday, the conclusion of National Nurses Week, and in celebration of all our nation’s healthcare workers and 2020 Year of the Nurse.

The project benefits The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, and The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).

Ogrin states, "I think our song 'Resilient' captures today's pandemic struggle. It was our dream to unite the Broadway community and the extraordinary work of Broadway Cares with the courageous nurses and doctors on the COVID front lines. Together they sing about strength, hope, inspiration and a better tomorrow for us all."

Ogrin and Berkow, along with Casting Director Stephen DeAngelis, recruited a star-studded company of Broadway performers to sing amongst the featured actual doctors and nurses, including Charl Brown (Tony Award Nominee, Motown the Musical), Cady Huffman (Tony Award Winner, The Producers), Gregory Jbara (Blue Bloods, Tony Award Winner, Billy Elliot), Chad Kimball (Tony Award Nominee, Memphis, currently in Come From Away), Gavin Lee (Tony Award Nominee, SpongeBob SquarePants), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Tony Award Nominee, Rent), Lauren Ward (Tony Award Nominee, Matilda the Musical), Josh Young (Tony Award Nominee, Jesus Christ Superstar), and Karen Ziemba (Tony Award Winner, Contact). The company members have been recognized with three Tony Award wins, 15 Tony Award nominations, seven Drama Desk Award wins, and 19 Drama Desk Award nominations, and they represent over 63 Broadway shows, including: Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Frozen, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Jagged Little Pill, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Newsies, The Phantom of the OperaThe Prom, West Side Story, Wicked, and many many more. 

According to Berkow, 'Given the unprecedented impact of this crisis, which is still unfolding, our goal was to salute the true heroes who are at the forefront of the battle for human lives - the tireless healthcare professionals – doctors, nurses, hospital personnel, who are literally risking their lives every day to take care of all of us." 

With the help of friends and family, Ogrin and Berkow reached out to doctors and nurses who are truly on the front lines. They heard the song and were passionate about lending their voices to the “Resilient Project.” Singing from the emergency room and critical care wards, these essential healthcare heroes are the true meaning of the word resilient. You can see in their faces and hear in their voices their dedication and hope to beat this virus.

"I have to do this! I’m working double shifts and can barely see my four children, but this message has to get out. And frankly, I’d love to sing about it," said Megan Curran, RN (NICU), Waukesha, WI.

This star-studded company of Broadway performers have donated their time and talents to raise awareness of the great work of three organizations that support us all in our time of need. Blue Bloods’ Jbara added, "As a grateful member of both the Broadway community and the CBS-TV family, countless creative opportunities have crossed my path these recent weeks to help heal, calm, inspire, as the world wrestles with this never-before-in-our-lifetime pandemic. My wife Julie was nearby as I read aloud the e-mail from casting director Stephen DeAngelis asking my interest. We sat together and listened for the first time to the “Resilient” demo by Jay Berkow and Dave Ogrin. After 70 bars of nodding/pulsing at each other in agreement, Julie concurred, 'You need to do this!'"

The doctors and nurses in the cast include: Dr. JC Alejaldre, Covid-19/Hospital Administrator, New York City, NY; Lori Ann Bibat, RN, NY; Kate Christopher, APRN, Chicago, IL; Megan Curran, RN (NICU), Waukesha, WI; Dr. Louis Greenblatt, Smithtown, NY; Dr. Sara Gungor, Pediatric Resident, Long Island, NY: Janist Harris, Home Health Aide, Queens, NY; Anita L. Hett, MSN, RN, Lead Nurse, Santa Fe, NM; Mary Joyce-Cahill, APRN, Chicago IL; Catherine Lamoreux, RN, Santa Fe, NM; Patti Schultz, RN, Colorado Springs, CO; Dr. Charles Strulovitch, Palliative Care Team, Chicago, IL; Dr. Kevin Vesey, St. James, NY; Charlene Vesey, LPN, St. James, NY; Jessica Wilson RN, Charleston, WV.

Rounding out the Broadway performers are Richard Todd Adams, Terence Archie, Major Attaway, Brent Barrett, Patrick Connahan, Robert Creighton, Darius DeHaas, John Treacy Egan, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Lana Gordon, Michael Gruber, Gregory Harrell, Lisa Howard, Adam Jacobs, Chilina Kennedy, Sean Allan Krill, Eryn LeCroy, Steffanie Leigh, Kara Lindsay, Kevin Massey, Isabelle McCalla, Shereen Pimentel, Nic Rouleau, Christina Sajous, Justin Matthew Sargent, Analise Scarpaci, Ayla Schwartz, James Snyder, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, DeAnne Stewart, Kristin Stokes, Emily Swallow, Salisha Thomas, Mariand Torres, Rema Webb, Samatha Williams.

#WeAreReslient

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