Tony winner Audra McDonald, a longtime supporter of the charity organization Covenant House, will host a star-studded benefit concert for the nonprofit later this month. Live streaming for one night only on Broadway on Demand, the evening will feature appearances and performances from Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Jon Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick, Stephen Colbert, Stephanie J. Block, and Tony Shalhoub.
A Night of Covenant House Stars will be co-hosted by 60 Minutes correspondent John Dickerson (both he and McDonald are members of the Covenant House Board of Directors). The Broadway on Demand live stream is set for May 18 at 8 PM ET and will be available to access free of charge.
Event proceeds will benefit Covenant House’s work across 31 cities in six countries. The international charity provides housing, food, and healthcare to children and youth facing homelessness and to keep them safe during the COVID-19 crisis.
Other stars scheduled to perform or appear are Rachel Brosnahan, Martin Short, Charlie Day, Chris O’Dowd, Zachary Levi, Zachary Quinto, Robin Thicke, Deborah Cox, Quentin Earl Darrington, Ariana DeBose, Darius de Haas, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Eden Espinosa, Jordan Fisher, Stephanie Hsu, Randy Jackson, Capathia Jenkins, Jeremy Jordan, Ramona Keller, Alex Newell, Karen Olivo, Dawn O’Porter, Laura Osnes, Benj Pasek, Jodi Picoult, Shereen Pimentel, Andrew Rannells, Keala Settle, Jake David Smith, Will Swenson, Bobby Conte Thornton, Ana Villafane, Frank Wildhorn, and the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir. Covenant House youth will also perform.
"These stars have stepped up because they recognize that our young people don’t have the option to shelter at home without a home. For thousands of young people, Covenant House is their home," said Covenant House President and CEO Kevin Ryan. "We need more food, more supplies, and we need to continue to provide staffing to care for sick and symptomatic youth. A Night of Covenant House Stars will help us keep our doors open, 24/7, when youth experiencing homelessness need us more than ever.”
A Night of Covenant House Stars is produced by Broadway director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun, who is also a Covenant House board member, with musical supervision by Jason Howland. In addition to Broadway on Demand, the special concert can be streamed on iHeartRadio Broadway, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Stars in the House.
