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Volunteer Profile: Donnie Kehr & Cori Gardner
(Producers Cori Gardner and Donnie Kehr have turnedROCKERS ON BROADWAY into a major fundraiser for BC/EFA.
By Andy Smith In the summer of 2006, Donnie Kehr and Cori Gardner, the producing duo behind the Rockers on Broadway benefits, knew they had a serious problem. Too much success. For years, the annual New York fundraiser had been earning between $3,000 and $5,000, with proceeds going to Broadway Cares. But, that year, something exciting happened, “It was a fantastic show with performers such as Patrick Wilson, J. Robert Spencer, Eden Espinoza, Greg Reuter, Kathy Brier, Tituss Burgess and Micky Dolenz, Chris Thompson from Manfred Mann – and featuring a reunion performance with members of the original cast of The Who’s Tommy, Michael Cerveris, Christian Hoff, Donnie Kehr, Anthony Barille and director Des McAnuff.” So they decided to make some big changes, starting with a bigger venue and juiced-up marketing. In January 2007 at BB King Blues Club & Grill, these changes and the high-profile lineup helped the organizers sell a lot more tickets. That event – which featured performances by three of the leads from Broadway's smash hit, Jersey Boys, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer and 2006 Tony® winner John Lloyd Young – earned $27,500 and took Rockers on Broadway to a new level. January’s Rockers also featured performances by Deborah Gibson, the legendary Micky Dolenz from the Monkees, country star Larry Gatlin, singer/songwriter Kate Taylor, and '60s favorites The Tokens with their smash hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Mark Pender from "The Max Weinberg 7" was also on hand to keep the show rockin' well into the evening along with many of Broadway's favorites such as Kathy Brier, Tituss Burgess, Jarrod Emick, Michael Lanning, Billy Porter, Greg Reuter, Sara Schmidt, and Ty Taylor. The next event is scheduled for October 22, and the producers believe this will be “the best Rockers yet” and with the exciting theme: “Motown.” This fall’s benefit will feature an eclectic, high profile line-up of talent honoring the Motown sound with songs originally performed by The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, the Jackson 5 and The Supremes, among others. Fundraising Friends “We talk 17 times a day,” jokes Cori. “It’s a very fluid partnership.” “We balance each other out,” adds Donnie. Rockers was founded by Donnie in 1993 and has a high-profile pedigree. At the time, Kehr was starring in The Who’s Tommy, rock legend Pete Townsend asked him to help produce “an event that would let Broadway performers know what it felt like to sing in a rock & roll venue, so they could understand and transfer the rawness of that edge to the stage.” John Entwistle (“The Who”), Eddie Vedder (“Pearl Jam”), and performers from The DiVinyls and 4 Non Blondes were among the first performers at these annual fundraisers, which quickly became popular with both theatrical performers ready for a new challenge and a relatively small, but ardent audience. Donnie and Cori joined forces in the spring of 2006 when Kehr performed at Wingspan Arts’ annual benefit. They had been acquaintances for years through the Broadway community but it finally seemed the right time to begin a professional collaboration. Very quickly it was clear these two were a perfect team. Blending Two Exciting Backgrounds Cori divides her time between Wingspan and Rockers and was one of three managing partners in RIOT Entertainment, a NY-based production company, which hit a home run its first time at the plate with the Off-Broadway smash Bat Boy: The Musical. That rare survivor, a childhood prodigy who didn’t leave the business or end up as an “E! True Hollywood Story,” Donnie Kehr debuted on Broadway at age 12 in the play Legend with Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham. He went on to appear in Joseph Papp’s production of William Saroyan’s The Human Comedy and the long-running Dickens-based musical hit The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His major breakthrough, however, was as the original “pinball lad” in The Who’s Tommy, followed by parts in Aida and his current phenomenal hit, Jersey Boys. Growing up in New York, Donnie is a classically trained dancer and a musician. This singer/songwriter comes from a true show business family. His mother Dolores was a ballerina and Father Harry, a musician, while brothers Michael and Steven also became professional musicians, teaming with Donnie to found the band Urgent, which was signed to the EMI-Manhattan label in the late 1980s. In 2005, Donnie’s company Good To Go Entertainment, released “Shift,” his first solo CD. In addition to Rockers, Jersey Boys and their other projects, Kehr and Gardner both are dedicated to the work of Rockers’ other beneficiary, Wingspan Arts, which creates and runs customized in-school, after-school and conservatory programs in all areas of performing, visual, media and literary arts. “I was studying music and performing at a young age, which frequently isolated me from other kids,” explains Donnie. “So I value this organization, not only because it supports arts in the schools, but does it without isolating kids with musical and artistic talents from their peers.” Motivated by this work, the producing team is even in the planning stages of setting up a foundation. “We’ve developed the concept and have a name but it’s a little too early to talk about it officially,” Gardner says, with Kehr quickly adding: “But don’t worry, we’ll let everyone know when it’s official.” Rockers on Broadway Salutes Motown will be at 8 PM on Monday, October 22 at BB King Blues Club & Grill on 42nd St. For tickets, visit Rockers’ website at http://www.rockersonbroadway.com |
