The 34th annual “Jane Elissa Extravaganza” took place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Monday, November 18th.
This benefit for the Jane Elissa Endowment Fund aids leukemia and cancer research. It was founded in 1989, when Jane Elissa’s mother was diagnosed with leukemia. The benefit’s committee consists of Annie Albarian, M.D., Michael James Caldwell, Maria Colon, AnneMarie Donelin, Terry Jacobs Robin Kaufman, Steve Kaufman, Jennifer Nason-Brown, and Debra Rosenstock.
This was an intimate event which featured The Boy Band Project, comprised of such talented performers as Travis Nesbitt, Sam Harvey, Nic Metcalf, and Jonah Mayor, as well as two-time Tony winner Dale Badway (the president of the Theatre World Awards), the iconic Megan Thomas, and Ashlyn Combs, among many others.
If that weren’t enough, this benefit featured songs from three upcoming theatrical New York City productions such as “Dear Ruth,” “Dark of the Moon,” and “The Monarch Butterfly.”
The Boy Band Project stole the show with their boy band numbers, where they tipped their hats to the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. It was neat that they included Jane Elissa in one of their numbers, and they serenaded her in a true boy band fashion.
Dale Badway praised Jane Elissa for being a “great woman” and that this event was a “great cause.” “I love doing this every year,” Badway admitted.
Badway tipped his hat to the slain “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor with a powerhouse rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
Badway really brought down the house, and it was quite moving and special for Jane Elissa (since she and the late Johnny Wactor would duet that classic song in karaoke together). There was certainly not a dry eye in the room after that melancholic yet beautiful performance.
They also honored the late “General Hospital” actress Jackie Zeman, who was a part of the fundraiser in prior years, as well as lawyer and accountant Ilene Zatkin-Butler, who served as the treasurer of the Theatre World Awards, who had passed away three days prior to the benefit.
Another proud moment was when Jane Elissa received a Citation from the New York City Council for her 34 years of dedication to the leukemia and cancer research cause, which helped more in excess of one million dollars.
The benefit included both a silent and live auction, where the prizes were tickets to Broadway shows (such as “Cabaret”), autographed Playbills from performers, restaurant gift cards, as well as arts and crafts made by Jane Elissa, among others.
To learn more about the Jane Elissa Leukemia & Cancer Research Benefit Event, click here.
