The Broadway musical is a unique American art form that integrates music with storytelling to create a powerful synergy that has been emulated around the world. From Oklahoma! to Wicked, unforgettable performances have left indelible impressions on audiences for the last seventy years. In 2010, Arizona Musicfest will bring four of Broadway’s finest vocalists to celebrate some of the most memorable musical moments on “The Great White Way.”

Jeannette Bayardelle starred as Celie in Broadway’s The Color Purple; then, originated the same role on the First National Tour, earning an NAACP Award for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical.” Other credits include Disney’s Little Mermaid III (Ariel’s Beginning), The Princess and the Frog, and the national tours of Rent, Big River and Sister Act (Europe). Off-Broadway, she has performed in Best of Both Worlds. Also a gospel artist, Jeannette has two recordings available on CDs, Praise Report and Transferrable. 

Ron Bohmer most recently appeared on Broadway as Father in the critically acclaimed revival of Ragime. His credits on the Broadway/National Tour include: the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (Jefferson Award nom.), the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel (NBTA nominee), Sir Percival Glyde in The Woman in White, Alex in Aspects of Love (L.A. Robby Award), Enjolras in Les Miserables, Fyedka in Fiddler on the Roof, and Coach Bolton in Disney’s High School Musical. Bohmer appeared Off-Broadway in: Forbidden Broadway: SVU (2005 Drama Desk), and The Thing About Men (Sebastian).

Ben Crawford hails from Tucson, Arizona, where he received a BFA degree in music theatre from the University of Arizona. Ben most recently starred as Shrek in the Broadway production of Shrek The Musical. He made his Broadway debut in the revival of Les Miserables, where he understudied the roles of both Javert and Jean Valjean. Other past credits include Oliver! at the MUNY (Bill Sykes), Oklahoma! at TOTS (Jud Fry), Carousel (Billy Bigelow), White Christmas (Bob Wallace), Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson) and Assassins (John Wilkes-Booth). 

Kate Shindle most recently co-starred as Elle Woods’ brunette nemesis, Vivienne Kensington, in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde. Her previous outings on Broadway include Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Lucy Harris in Jekyll & Hyde. Kate has an extensive theatrical resume, which includes highlights like Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Off-Off-Broadway, Maggie in After the Fall at The Alley, Nora Barnacle in Himself and Nora at The Old Globe, Sympathy Jones, Gypsy, Into the Woods, The Last Five Years and numerous others. She won the “Outstanding Individual Performance Award” from the New York Musical Theatre Festival for her starring role in Sympathy Jones. Her film and TV work includes Capote and The Stepford Wives.