(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point is launching a new partnership with the South Jersey Jazz Society (SJJS). The exciting collaboration will kick off Saturday, April 19, 2025 when Emmy®-nominated trumpeter Benny Benack III and Broadway's Khailah Johnson blend Jazz's biggest hits with Broadway’s hottest tunes in "Some Enchanted Evening."
Benack has been a leading voice in Jazz for years – and he’s only in his early 30s. He’s headlined clubs and festivals around the world on the heels of his latest critically acclaimed album “Third Time’s the Charm,” which rose to No. 2 on JazzWeek International Radio Charts in 2023. He is a fiery trumpeter who can play anything from Freddie Hubbard to Louis Armstrong and everyone in between. As a singer, he delivers expressive Sinatra-esque vocal stylings.
“I had heard about Benny, but I never worked with him. Then I finally got to see him perform live,” said Joe Donofrio, artistic director and vice president of SJJS, as well as a musician, manager, promoter, and producer with six Grammy Awards to his name. “He knocked me out. I was so impressed. Not only by him as a musician, but as a well-versed entertainer.”
Benack has spanned the globe with various musical artists with his “Some Enchanted Evening” show, receiving rave reviews wherever he goes. For the Gateway performance, he will pair with Johnson, who currently performs in the hit Broadway show “& Juliet.”
In “Some Enchanted Evening,” Benack and Johnson will take audiences on a Jazz-filled trip that explores The Great American Songbook’s most enduring hits from the Golden Age of Broadway and the Silver Screen, such as “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Sound of Music,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Oliver!” and “Hamilton,” all while paying homage to the enduring legacy of some of the most-beloved songs ever written by some of the world’s most-renowned songwriters.
While SJJS has produced shows at the Gateway before, this is the first time the two entities are fully co-producing, and they are already entertaining additional shows moving forward.
“We are so excited to be able to bring such extraordinary music to our stage,” said Alice Woods, executive director of the Gateway. “By bringing our two groups together, we can pool our resources to attract the next level of regional and New York talent. It just strengthens our message that Gateway Playhouse is the venue for arts and entertainment in South Jersey.”
“Some Enchanted Evening” will take place 7:00pm on Saturday, April 19, at Gateway Playhouse. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at GatewayByTheBay.org or by calling the Karen S. Sutherland Box Office at 609-653-0553. Snacks and beverages (sodas, wine, beer, and cocktails) will be available for purchase in the lobby. Gateway Playhouse is located at 738 Bay Ave. in Somers Point.
Born to a musical family, Benny Benack III is the third not only in name, but in musical talent and showmanship in his family. A piano player, singer, trumpeter, and composer, Benack has been traveling the world, bringing The Great American Songbook with him wherever he goes. He is an Emmy®-nominated trumpeter and vocalist who has already become a leading voice in Jazz for his generation, headlining clubs and festivals around the world on the heels of his latest critically acclaimed album “Third Time’s the Charm” which ascended to No. 2 on the JazzWeek International Radio Charts in 2023.
His sophomore album, “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” (2020), featured bass luminary Christian McBride and achieved viral online fame with his vocalese rendition of "Social Call" featuring Veronica Swift. He has crooned his way to millions of more listeners alongside groups such as the Grammy-winning “8-Bit Big Band” and YouTube sensation “Postmodern Jukebox.” Benack was a finalist in the 2014 Thelonius Monk Competition on trumpet, and won Third Place in the 2021 Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition. His resume for both was recently bolstered by Downbeat Magazine’s Readers Poll for 2025, where he placed No. 1 for Rising Star Male Vocalist and No. 8 for Rising Star Trumpet.
Khailah Johnson is currently in the smash Broadway hit "& Juliet.” She has also been on the CW Network's show "The 4400," and featured on “Good Morning America.” Johnson was a vocal student of Benny Benack’s mom at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. When not starring on Broadway, Johnson is a frequent performer at the top Jazz clubs in New York City including the Coby Club and Daddy Rabbit NYC.
Since its reopening in 2017, Gateway Playhouse, a 501-(c)3 nonprofit, has provided quality and affordable year-round entertainment to residents and visitors alike, as well as offered educational opportunities to grammar and high school students, in the hopes of creating future generations of actors, directors and audiences. Aside from an annual mainstage season, the Gateway also produces a variety of comedy and cabaret shows throughout the year. As the saying goes, “see you at the Gateway!”
The South Jersey Jazz Society (SJJS) is a 501-(c)3 nonprofit that has been in existence since 2004. The organization offers year-round Jazz events including its popular, annual Jazz festival, a twice-monthly Jazz series and much more. Each event features a variety of either national, regional or local Jazz artists. SJJS also offers scholarship opportunities to local South Jersey students and has donated over $30,000 to support music and arts programs in public schools.
