(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- In 2022, as the world was finally coming out of COVID-19, Aaron Lazar was invited to return to the stage to lead the cast of The Bridges of Madison County, playing opposite Kate Baldwin at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal. Just days into rehearsal, Lazar received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Thus began Lazar's "extraordinary" journey.
When he was diagnosed, Lazar only shared the news with Baldwin, a friend with whom he had shared the stage many times over two decades, and director Hunter Foster. Lazar and Baldwin created searing portrayals of Italian housewife Francesca Johnson and photographer Robert Kincaid and displayed "unstoppable" energy on stage, bringing national attention to the Axelrod, one of NJ's newest regional theaters. The couple went on to perform a cabaret run together at NYC's 54 Below titled "All For You" later that year which was brought back by popular demand in 2023.
In January 2024, Lazar revealed his diagnosis to the national press and began championing his cause. The star of 11 Broadway productions has since mounted a heroic fight against the disease, leading concerts in New York and California to raise funds for Project ALS and the ALS Network. He recorded "Impossible Dream," a star-studded Grammy-nominated album and began a personal and educational podcast with the same title to bring greater focus to the fight against this debilitating disease.
On Monday, August 31, 2026 at 7:00pm, two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly, Finian's Rainbow) will lead "Extraordinary: Broadway Sings for Aaron Lazar," a special one-night benefit concert at Bell Theater at Bell Works, directed by Hunter Foster with music direction by Nate Patten.
Baldwin will be joined on stage by many of Lazar's favorite Broadway stars and friends, including two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz (Wicked, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Catch Me If You Can, The Last Five Years), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), two-time Tony winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Kimberly Akimbo), Katie Rose Clarke (The Light in the Piazza, Wicked, Miss Saigon, Merrily We Roll Along), Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights, Wicked, Hamilton), three-time Tony nominee Marc Kudisch (Bells are Ringing, The Wild Party, Beauty and the Beast), Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Wicked, Beautiful), Michael Minarik (Les Misérables, Rock of Ages, Matilda), Tony nominee Christiane Noll (Jekyll & Hyde, Ragtime, Dear Evan Hansen), Jessica Phillips (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Next to Normal, Dear Evan Hansen), two-time Tony nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Holiday Inn, Chess), Scarlett Strallen (Mary Poppins, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), and Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck (On the Town, Finding Neverland, Flying Over Sunset, Chicago, White Christmas, Gypsy). Other performers will be announced. The concert will also include a special onstage reunion of the Axelrod cast of The Bridges of Madison County.
When Axelrod's Executive Artistic Director Andrew DePrisco called Baldwin to propose a benefit concert to raise funds for their friend's ongoing care, she didn't hesitate to offer help.
"Aaron is my dear friend and thoughtful leading man," she said. "I leapt at Andrew's proposal and offered to host, sing and invite a few friends to join me on stage in support of him."
Thanks to the support of Cabaret for Life, the NJ nonprofit DePrisco founded in 1995, Bell Works and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, 100% of the funds raised at "Extraordinary: Broadway Sings for Aaron Lazar" will be donated directly to Lazar.
"It's easy to fall in love with Aaron," said DePrisco. "Once you've collaborated with this generous, talented artist, you're on Team Aaron for life."
Tickets for "Extraordinary" go on sale at 10:00am on Friday, July 24. Call the box office at 732-531-9106, ext. 14 or visit www.axelrodarts.org. Virtual viewers will be able to donate and stream the concert live.
Bell Theater at Bell Works is the Axelrod's newest venue, located at 101 Crawfords Corner Rd, Holmdel, NJ. Bell Theater presents professional theatrical productions and concerts, comedy and more. Upcoming are Driving Miss Daisy, starring two-time Tony nominee Alison Fraser and Broadway vets Bernard Dotson and Abe Goldfarb, directed by Nate Patten, running August 7-23, and Come From Away, opening on September 11 in honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, directed and choreographed by Lisa Stevens, running for four weeks through October 4.
