Broadway Composer Headlines Make a Wish Concert

From Pagani PR: Returning for a second year in a row, legendary Broadway composer and songwriter Frank Wildhorn recently headlined one of the year’s much anticipated concerts to benefit Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley.

Known for both his musicals and popular songs including the number one international hit song, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”—made famous by Whitney Houston – and the song “Gold”, heard at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, Wildhorn was the first composer to have three Broadway musicals running on Broadway simultaneously: Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War.

Joining him for an evening featuring his music were noted performers: Constantine Maroulis (American Idol, Rock of Ages, Jekyll and Hyde); Carrie Manolakos (Mama Mia, Wicked); Carly Rose Sonenclar (singer/songwriter who played Chloe in Frank's Wonderland on Broadway, Young Cosette in Les Miserables and then went on to become the runner-up on The X-Factor in 2012);

Sasha Allen (singer who began her career in the music industry as backing vocalist for Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Usher; starred in Hair and was finalist on The Voice in 2013); Kevin Kern (Finding Neverland, The Bridges of Madison County, First Date, The Wedding Singer, Les Miserables) and Nina Howland (featured in the recent Broadway Kids Against Bullying: I Have A Voice music video)

The concert, which attracted hundreds of supporters of the non-profit chapter, marked the second year-in-a-row that Wildhorn “devoted his time and talents to help the chapter reach the goal of granting the wish to every eligible child in the Hudson Valley for which we are deeply grateful,” said Thomas J. Conklin, President and CEO of f Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley.

Conklin noted: “Given the cash cost of granting a wish for each child ranges between $7,500 and $10,000, the generosity of our supporters for these signature events is so critically important to fulfilling our mission of making a difference in the lives of the wish kids and their families.”

(Image 1) Legendary Broadway composer/songwriter Frank Wildhorn headlined a recent Broadway concert (second year in a row) at the Tarrytown Music Hall to help Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley grant the wishes of local kids with life-threatening medical conditions. Shown with him, (l-r) are Wish Kids Dream Shepard, 12, of Ossining and Matthew Welling, 11, of White Plains. Performing with Wildhorn before an audience of hundreds of supporters of the chapter were Broadway hit show stars Constantine Maroulis, Carrie Manolakos, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Sasha Allen ,Kevin Kern and Nina Howland. Photo credit: Jeffrey Auger

(Image 2) Front row, (l-r) are: Performers Sasha Allen, Carly Rose Sonenclar and Nina Howland and Wish Kids Dream Shepard and Matthew Welling. Back row, (l-r) are: Carrie Manolakos, Constantine Maroulis, Frank Wildhorn and Kevin Kern. Photo credit: Jeffrey Auger.