When I received the press release about Matt DeAngelis' upcoming benefit, The Janice Jam: Broadway For Breast Cancer, an event that honors Matt's mom who lost her battle with metastatic breast cancer in 2022, I knew I had to help him promote it.

With a roster of Broadway talent by his side, Matt & his friends are raising money for the millions of people affected by breast and other types of cancer. The evening will be filled with Celebration, Remembrance, and Awareness that will have guests singing, dancing, and helping bring funding to this very special cause.

In this interview, Matt answered my call to reveal:

• How this benefit initially came together
• How The Janice Jam has been helping him heal
• What he misses most about his mom
• What he wishes he could still tell his mom
• So much more

Connect with Matt: Website, Facebook, Instagram

The Janice Jam: Broadway for Breast Cancer will take place Monday, May 13th, 2024, at 7:30pm at Haswell Green’s in New York City. 

Scheduled to appear: Laurence Olivier Award and Grammy-nominated Caissie Levy (Leopoldstadt), Omar Jose Cardona (NBC’s The Voice), Jackie Cox (Ru Paul’s Drag Race), Lissa DeGuzman (Wicked), Christine Dwyer (Wicked), Tony-Award Winner John Gallagher Jr. (Swept Away), Justin Guarini (Once Upon a One More Time), Morgan James (Motown), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Parade), Talia Suskauer (Wicked), Ryan Vona (Parade), Nik Walker (Spamalot), and more. 

1. This May you are presenting the 2nd annual JANICE JAM: BROADWAY FOR BREAST CANCER, a concert benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). This benefit is in honor of your mom, and other women who lost their lives to metastatic breast cancer. After losing your mom in 2022, how did you initially decide to put together a benefit concert? My mom was a big part of my life as an actor here in NY and everyone knew and loved her. When she was in town…it was an EVENT and people would meet us at Glasshouse Tavern after their shows and we'd drink till they turned the lights on. I wanted to channel my grief into something that could elicit that same feeling. We're gonna throw a party to remember her every year and we're gonna raise money to help more families not have to suffer what I did.

2. How does this benefit help you heal from losing your mom to metastatic breast cancer? Healing takes time…but having something to focus on is good. Having people show up and volunteer and sing songs in her honor definitely helped, and is still helping.

3. What lessons did you learn from last year's benefit that you will be bringing to this year's show that you feel will make more of an impact for attendees? THE LINEUP!!!! IT'S CRAZY!!! Caissie Levy, John Gallagher Jr, Jackie Cox from RuPaul's Drag Race, Omar Jose Cardona from The Voice, Justin Guarini…the list goes on and it's banger after banger. We also have Magic, burlesque, sword swallowers (yet to be confirmed), Fiddle players…its gonna be MAGIC.

4. You have an amazing line-up of performers for this year's show. How do you choose who you want to perform for this event? I started with people very close to me or people who knew my mom. Caissie actually made us a video last year and spoke so eloquently about my mom. Gavin Creel and Shoshana Bean did as well, as they all knew her personally. But then I branched out and I want it to be the best of the best. There are concerts all over NYC, but there's nothing like The Janice Jam. We're gonna keep trying to get bigger names and grow this family the old fashioned way, with love.

5. What song are you performing at this year's benefit? Why did you choose said song? It's actually a pop up (hopefully viral) surprise.

Janice DeAngelis

6. To help my audience get to know your mom, what is something you miss most about her? Her laugh and her ability to make people stay up too late and feel welcomed and seen.

7. What is one characteristic your mom had that you feel shines brightly throughout the benefit? EVERYBODY GETS A VALENTINE, that was my mom's whole thing and this evening serves as a reminder that all are welcome.

8. Your mom was a lover of theatre. What were the top 3 shows you were glad you got to see with her? Come From Away is my favorite show and I'm so glad I saw that with her. There were so many, but for me it always added a little extra juice to have her in the audience of stuff I was doing (she saw Waitress like 30 times LOL).

9. In the picture above, your mom is eating a slice of pizza. If you could have one more slice of pizza with your mom, where would you have it and what is something you would want to tell her? I'd want to tell her that the Broadway community and I love her very much. I'm very lucky. At the end I told her everything I needed to tell her. But she would think all these people celebrating her was a kick in the pants.

10. What is something we didn't get to talk about in this interview that you'd like my audience to know about you? They can ask me when they come to the show! I can't wait to meet everyone!!!

Matt DeAngelis

More on Matt DeAngelis:

Originally from Boston Massachusetts, Matt grew up on showtunes and Boston sports. Matt studied theatre at both University of Southern Maine and The Boston Conservatory before heading down Rte 95 to NYC in 2004.

In June of 2009 Matt got the call to make his broadway debut in the TONY winning production of HAIR with TONY winner Diane Paulus at the helm. Matt continued with that production “Across the Atlantic Sea” to The West End, in the role of “Woof,” and then launched the 1st National US Tour of HAIR and was seen back on Broadway in the “Summer of Love” revival of HAIR. Following his time with the hippies, Matt launched the 1st National tour of Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT as the “Representative from Jingletown.” Matt’s cross country adventures continued in 2014 with the 1st National Tour of ONCE, where he played “Svec” and 5 instruments. 

Thankfully Matt returned home to Broadway (again with Diane Paulus) in the hit musical WAITRESS, where he starred opposite TONY winner Jessie Mueller, 2 time Grammy winner Jason Mraz, and 7 time Grammy nominee, and the show's composer, Sara Bareilles. He then toured the country with the WAITRESS National Tour as Earl opposite his real life wife, Christine Dwyer, as Jenna.  Matt has been a part of the Waitress family for over 5 years and has been in both broadway companies, two tours, and the film.

Upon returning from the road Matt was a part of developing the World Premiere of The Secret Life of Bees at The Atlantic Theatre Company, directed by TONY winner Sam Gold. Most recent regional credits include: Guy in ONCE at Bucks County Playhouse and The SOLD OUT run of Swept Away at Arena Stage ft. the music of the Avett Brothers.

On television Matt has made many performance appearances with these multiple shows, including the Macys Thanksgiving Parade. Matt can also be seen on Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, Marvel’s Daredevil, EVIL, For Life, Chicago PD, and FBI.  Most notably he was seen on the big screen in the Waitress Movie starring Sara Bareilles.

Matt lives with his beautiful wife and fellow performer (and Bostonian) Christine Dwyer, and their Boston Terrier “Chowdah." Matt and Christine also co-teach audition prep style classes/lessons and are dedicated to unlocking people's potential and embracing individuality in the audition process.