(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- On August 31, 2026, "a cavalcade of stars" from Broadway and beyond gathered at Bell Theater at Bell Works to celebrate the journey of Broadway star and New Jersey native Aaron Lazar, whose battle with ALS began back in 2022, a diagnosis he received while performing in the Axelrod Performing Arts Center's production of The Bridges of Madison County.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. Thanks to the sponsorship support of two local New Jersey charities, Cabaret for Life and The Light of Day Foundation, all proceeds from "Extraordinary: Broadway Sings for Aaron Lazar" are being donated directly to Lazar and his family to support his ongoing battle. To date, the concert has raised $50,000 from ticket donations and individual contributions.
Beyond the sold-out show at Bell Theater at Bell Works, the concert was livestreamed on YouTube and promoted by Broadway World and Playbill. It can still be viewed on the Axelrod's YouTube channel, and the link is still active for donations. Aaron Lazar's GoFundMe account is also still active and recently exceeded $500,000.
The concert was directed by Tony nominee Hunter Foster with music direction by Nate Patten and produced by Axelrod Executive Artistic Director Andrew DePrisco. Two-time Tony nominee Kate Baldwin co-hosted the concert with the hilarious Michael Minarik (Les Misérables, Rock of Ages, Matilda), who awkwardly donned multiple costumes in tribute to his best friend Lazar, whose own Broadway career includes leads in 10 shows (his debut at age 15 as Enjolras in Les Misérables, Raul in The Phantom of the Opera, Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza and more).
Miguel Cervantes, who has played the title role in Hamilton on Broadway over 2000 times, opened the concert with a hilarious re-write of Lin-Manuel Miranda's title song dedicated to "Aaron Scott Lazar." Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck tapped his way through "All I Need is the Girl," which he performed on Broadway in the musical Gypsy.
Two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz shared a song from his Broadway musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels called "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True," a beautiful message of hope and miracles. Two cast members from The Light in the Piazza, who shared the stage at Lincoln Center with Lazar, performed as well: two-time Tony winner Victoria Clark sang "A Horse with Wings" by Ricky Ian Gordon and Katie Rose Clarke sang the title song "The Light in the Piazza," which was her first Broadway role.
Three-time Tony nominee Marc Kudisch accompanied himself on guitar to sing "Whistle Down the Wind," Kara Lindsay serenaded the crowd with "Thank You for the Music" from Mamma Mia!, Tony nominee Christiane Noll, currently touring with The Sound of Music, sang "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and Jessica Phillips performed "I'm a Part of That" from The Last Five Years.
Tony nominee Patrick Wilson took to the stage with his 17-year-old son Kalin ("Kal") Wilson to sing "Man" from his Broadway show The Full Monty. Tony nominee for The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Norm Lewis, made a surprise appearance and performed "The Impossible Dream" as a special tribute to Lazar, whose album of the same name received a Grammy nomination last year.
In the final moments of the concert, Baldwin sang "Always Better" from The Bridges of Madison County, supported by members of the Axelrod cast, who concluded the evening with Bill Finn's hopeful anthem, "I Feel So Much Spring" from the musical A New Brain.
Lazar's parents, Paul and Cheryl Lazar, and his sister Dana Fallis, were in the audience.
Lazar, who was able to watch the livestream from his home in California, shared with the company, "To have so many extraordinary Broadway friends, Bridges family, colleagues and artists I admire come together and volunteer their time and talent solely for me and my family was overwhelming in the most beautiful way."
"I was completely blown away by you all," he continued. "Thank you for your generosity and love. I felt like I was right there on stage singing with you. And that indeed was extraordinary."
To make a donation, visit www.axelrodartscenter.com/extraordinary-aaron-lazar.
A writer and an AI software designer battle to create the next great play in this cautionary tale about the impending intersection of technology and creativity.
The 45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 4-October 4, 2026. The Festival will be a hybrid as we will be presenting it online as well as doing select in-person screenings at Rutgers University. Almost all the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VOD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person shows when both are offered. This program is available Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 5PM. This in-person screenings will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ.
Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa Etheridge (“I’m the Only One” “Come to My Window,” “I Want to Come Over.”) has remained one of America’s favorite female singers since bursting onto the scene in 1988. Etheridge performs songs from her new album, Rise, and her hits.
Dion and his music have long represented a special time and place, reflective of a moment when a song could mean so much. When a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world. Dion is more than a cherished memory as critic Dave Marsh noted, “Dion is the only artist from the 1950’s who has remained creative and relevant into the 2000s.” In 1958 he had three top-forty hits. In 2008 he was nominated for a Grammy. In 2020, is releasing new studio album Blues with Friends, joined by Joe Bonamassa, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons and many other rock luminaries. In the ’50s he was one of a handful of innovators who defined rock ‘n’ roll and that’s still very much the case.
Julio Torres is an Emmy-nominated, Peabody-winning and WGA-winning writer, director, and comedian from El Salvador.
