On Monday, September 23, 2013 at 54 Below, Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana (both Tony Nominated for Cinderella  on Broadway) will perform an intimate benefit concert titled Remember When....

The New York Pops' Music Director Steven Reineke will host the evening beginning with a champagne reception at 5:30PM followed by dinner and a performance at 6:30PM.

The evening is a joint benefit in support of The New York Pops Education Programs at Ronald McDonald House® New York, which provide creative outlets to the children and families in residence.

In this interview, Santino & Laura answered my call to reveal:

• How they both got involved with this benefit performance
• What this benefit means to them
• What they hope audiences come away with after attending this benefit concert
• Working with The New York Pops' Conductor Steven Reineke
• So Much More

1. On September 23, you both are participating in The New York Pops/Ronald McDonald House benefit concert Remember When..., a concert benefiting the The New York Pops' Educational program at Ronald McDonald House in New York. How did you both get involved with this benefit? Santino and I were approached by Steven Reineke, who asked if we'd be interested in performing a duo concert together for this event. We eagerly said Yes!

2. What does it mean to you to be part of this special benefit concert? I have done a couple birthday concerts with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and am always thrilled to collaborate with them on any project. This one is special because we get to celebrate and honor their relationship with the Ronald McDonald house. I lost my mom to cancer two years ago and Santino has also had family members battling this horrible disease, so our hearts are deeply connected to the cause, especially its focus on children.

3. What are you looking forward to most about the evening? To be honest, Santino and I have discussed the idea of doing a concert together for a while now, so this was a perfect opportunity! And to do it all for such a worthy cause makes it all the more exciting and fulfilling.

4. What excites you about working with The New York Pops' Musical Director/Conductor Steven Reineke? Steven not only possesses immense talent, but a tremendous respect and passion for music. Santino and I were honored to be personally invited by Steven to headline this special event. We are bringing in our musical director, Andy Einhorn, to accompany, arrange, and musically direct our concert, but Steven has been pivotal in overseeing the process and coordinating with 54 Below and the Ronald McDonald House.

5. What do you enjoy about performing at 54 Below? The venue is classy yet comfortable. The sound is superb, the food is delicious, and the intimate setting makes performing there such a treat!

6. What do you hope audiences come away with after attending this benefit? We hope to not only entertain but truly touch the hearts of our audience that evening. Our theme of "Remember When..." hearkens back to our childhoods. From playful songs that Santino and I each sang as youngsters, to heartwarming songs that conjure up some of our most special memories, there's sure to be a "remember when" moment that each audience member can relate to.

Laura Osnes performing at 54 Below

More on Laura Osnes:

Santino Fontana in Cinderella on Broadway

More on Santino Fontana:

Santino Fontana was nominated for a 2013 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical for his work in Broadway's Cinderella. He was most recently seen Off-Broadway in Sons of the Prophet at the Roundabout (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards). Broadway: The Importance of Being Earnest (Clarence Derwent Award), Brighton Beach Memoirs (Drama Desk Award), Billy Elliot, and Sunday in the Park With George.

 

Steven Reineke, Photo Credit: Michael Tammaro

 

More on Steven Reineke:

Steven Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Mr. Reineke’s work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands around the world. A native of Ohio, Mr. Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned bachelor of music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his partner Eric Gabbard.