A Night of Broadway Stars

Covenant House Michigan’s historical Broadway event was a night not soon to be forgotten! A Night of Broadway Stars was an exhilarating recreation of Broadway’s greatest. The event also included some of Broadway’s leading stars to date. While the Broadway stars were excellent, the night’s true stars were the speakers and performers of Covenant House Michigan. With the combination of great performers, terrific music and high energy, A Night of Broadway Stars was truly remarkable.

The Broadway event began on a pleasant note with a silent auction and five star dinner tasteful enough to make Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse envious. The silent auction contained items ranging from autographed baseball memorabilia, sporting event passes and spa gift certificates. The delightful dinner and silent auction were just the start of what would be a beautiful night.

As everyone began to take their seats and the lights were dimmed, one could feel the anticipation begin to fill the room. World renowned composer, lyricist, and entertainer Neil Berg began the night with enthusiasm, jokes and high energy. Berg’s opening was followed by a riveting performance by Capathia Jenkins singing “All That Jazz” from the hit Broadway show Chicago as Lawrence and Danny Zolli did back up. This performance was followed by Danny Zolli singing the famous Four Seasons song “Sherry” while the other Broadway stars sung back up. Next up was Rita Harvey singing a heartfelt version of “Over the Rainbow.” After that performance, Carter Calvert hit the stage to sing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from the popular musical Funny Girl.

At this point Covenant House’s very own Kyle spoke on the trials and tribulations he has faced in his life. As Kyle went on to say “When I was 10 I started gang banging with all my older friends in my neighborhood. When I was 12, I had developed a real bad coke addiction. …and I started going in and out of jail for committing crimes that a child that age shouldn’t even know about…” you could feel not only his intensity, but the shock and sadness from the audience as well. His compelling words were immediately followed by Craig Schulman singing a tear jerking version of Les Miserables’ “Bring Him Home.” Danny Zolli then followed with the emotional “Gethsemane” from his long running role in Jesus Christ Superstar. World famous tap dancer Ted Louis Levy then blessed the stage tapping and singing “My Favorite Things.” Afterward, Carter Calvert sung “Memory” from her star role in the musical Cats. That was followed by a Motown classic version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” performed by Capathia Jenkins and Lawrence. Covenant House resident and entrepreneur Danielle then took the stage and delivered a passionate speech regarding her life before and after entering Covenant House. As Danielle said, “The majority of my life, I’ve been confused of who I am as a person. I have wondered does anybody love me. There would be many nights when my younger sister and I would go to sleep hungry and couldn’t wait to go to school the next morning just to get breakfast,” the crowd was overtaken with grief. The lyrics of “Somewhere” from West Side Story rang true as Rita Harvey sang it after Danielle’s overwhelming speech. Danny Zolli later sung “Don’t Stop Believing” while his fellow Broadway stars did background vocals. Capathia Jenkins followed that performance with a show stopping version of “And I Am Telling You” from her role in Dreamgirls. Next, were Craig Schulman and Rita Harvey singing two memorizing songs from Phantom of the Opera.

While each of the performances was amazing, A Night of Broadway Stars’ greatest performances were done not by the professionals, but the young people of Covenant House. The young people of Covenant House sang the inspirational song “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. With the lyrics of “The Climb” already being powerful, the voices of these talented individuals only further grabbed the attention and hearts of the audience. To close the Broadway show, the young people of Covenant House were able to sing “Seasons of Love” alongside the Broadway Stars.

From beginning to end A Night of Broadway Stars was a success. This event has meant so much to the kids here at Covenant House. As CHM speaker Danielle later stated with so much excitement, “This night was so special! It brought the Covenant House kids and Life Skills students together. We used to feel like the Life Skills kids did not respect us because we lived at Covenant House. Now we have friendships…and it’s all because of this one night!” With the powerhouse performances of the Broadway Stars and the youth of Covenant House stealing our hearts with their inspiring words and angelic voices, A Night of Broadway Stars will definitely be remembered for years to come. Covenant House Michigan would like to thank all of the donors, sponsors and audience members who supported this tremendous event.