Stars in the HouseStars in the House Looks Back on Broadway for Orlando Fundraiser With Rosie O'Donnell, Wayne Brady, More June 23Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley's series marks the fifth anniversary of thefundraiser, paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the Pulse nightclub shooting.
By
Andrew Gans
June 23, 2021
StarsintheHouse, the daily live streamed concert series created by Playbill correspondent and SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley, marks the fifth anniversary of Broadway for Orlando and the release of the cover of “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which raised over $100,000 for the The Center Orlando, June 23 at 8 PM ET.
Guests include Wayne Brady, Keala Settle, Liz Callaway, Ann Hampton Callaway, Rosie O'Donnell, and Orfeh, as well as The Center Orlando Executive Director George A. Wallace. The evening will focus on the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and raise funds and awareness for The Center Orlando in tribute to those who lost their lives during the shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse.
On the morning of June 12, 2016, while most of Broadway was getting ready to celebrate the 2016 Tony Awards, word came through that a mass shooting had taken place at the Orlando venue. At the time it was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. The Tony Awards dedicated that evening’s ceremony to the victims, their families, and the entire Orlando community. Several of the evening’s winners mentioned the event during their acceptance speeches.
Three days later, members of the community gathered again—at Avatar Studios in Manhattan and in recording studios in Miami and Los Angeles. Over 60 stars raised their voices for Broadway for Orlando, a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Proceeds from the digital download benefited The Center Orlando.
Stars in the House launched March 16 last year to promote support for The Actors Fund and its services in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It has also raised funds for the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund in support of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
New shows—streaming Tuesday–Saturday at 8 PM ET—feature performances by stars of stage and screen, in conversation and song with Rudetsky and Wesley. Peter Flynn serves as streaming director.
A chorus of Broadway celebrities raised their voices in song in response to the June 12 Orlando shooting massacre, the worst in U.S. history. Actors, singers and songwriters—including Matthew Broderick, Sara Bareilles, Sean Hayes, Carole King, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Michael Cerveris, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Orfeh, Andréa Burns, Sarah Jessica Parker and dozens more—gathered June 15 at Avatar Studios to sing a benefit single of “What the World Needs Now is Love,” produced by Seth Rudestky, James Westley and Broadway Records in conjunction with a music video filmed and produced by Playbill. The single and video will be available June 20. The digital download will be available for purchase at BroadwayRecords.com with 100% of proceeds benefiting the LGBT Center of Central Florida.
70 PHOTOS
“Broadway For Orlando”
Edith Windsor
Audra McDonald
“Broadway For Orlando”
Broadway For Orlando
Monica Simoes
Broadway For Orlando
Monica Simoes
Rebecca Luker, Jennifer Simard and Fran Drescher
Carmen Cusack
Michael J. Moritz Jr.
Renée Elise Goldsberry
James Wesley and B.D. Wong
Carole King
Sara Bareilles
Monica Simoes
Seth Rudetsky and Audra McDonald
Bernadette Peters
Carole King
Fran Drescher and Renée Elise Goldsberry
Joel Grey
Kimiko Glenn
Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley
Monica Simoes
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Tommy Tune
Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera and Donna Murphy
Seth Rudetsky and Sarah Jessica Parker
Broadway For Orlando
Monica Simoes
Orfeh, Jessie Mueller and Lillias White
“Broadway For Orlando”
Katherine Shindle and Edith Windsor
“Broadway For Orlando”
Lillias White
Donna Murphy and Alice Ripley
Liz Callaway, Ann Hampton Callaway and Seth Rudetsky
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Monica Simoes
Michael Cerveris
Fran Drescher and Carole King
Seth Rudetsky
Orfeh
“Broadway For Orlando”
Carole King and James Wesley
Carole King, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Mueller
“Broadway For Orlando”
Rosie Perez and Whoopi Goldberg
Scott Icenogle, Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane
Kelli O'Hara and Rebecca Luker
Michael Cerveris, Will Swenson, Kelli O'Hara and Audra McDonald
Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker
Whoopi Goldberg, Tommy Tune, Lillias White, Chita Rivera and Liz Callaway
Chita Rivera and Judy Kuhn
Jose Llana and Kelli O'Hara
Bernadette Peters and Carole King
Lillias White and Billy Porter
Monica Simoes
Anika Larsen and Edith Windsor
Joshua Colley, Lilla Crawford and Juli Wesley
Philip S. Birsh, Jessie Mueller, Alice Ripley, Fran Drescher and Liz Callaway
Sara Bareilles and Carole King
Zachary Levi
James Wesley, Seth Rudetsky, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Orfeh
Fran Drescher, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Mueller
Lillias White, Rosie Perez and James Monroe Iglehart
Lillias White and Sara Bareilles
Rosie Perez, Bernadette Peters, Carole King and Fran Drescher
Joel Grey and Carmen Cusack
Matthew Broderick and Bernadette Peters
Chita Rivera and Len Cariou
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Monica Simoes
Rory O'Malley, Andréa Burns and Jose Llana
Rosie O'Donnell and Sara Bareilles
James Wesley, Blake Ross and Seth Rudetsky
Lillias White, Rosie O'Donnell, Alice Ripley and Marissa Jaret Winokur
White just completed her run as Harriet, the overworked Chief of Staff in Broadway's POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.