The Journey to Art With A Purpose

Wishing You Beautiful Holidays  As we celebrate the holidays and the end of the year, we take in theatre from NYC to London. Luis Salgado returns to Axelrod Performing Arts Center  We are thrilled to announce that  Luis Salgado  will once again bring his vision, direction and choreography to New Jersey’s  Axelrod Performing Arts Center  for a fifth production, this time with the acclaimed  Beautiful: The Carole King Musical . Beautiful: The Carole King Musical   shares the inspiring story of Brooklyn-born Carole King’s rise to stardom. From penning hits for Aretha Franklin to becoming one of the most celebrated solo artists in history, this Tony-winning musical is packed with over two dozen timeless songs, including Natural Woman and You’ve Got a Friend. Kyra Kennedy  reprises the role of Carole King after bringing life to this iconic artist this past summer.  Get your Tickets now Journey To Art Wi...

  RL Community of Friends and Amazing Supporters, After several weeks of emails during our Dare 2 Give Campaign, we wanted to give you a little break and now return with exciting news! We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your incredible support, we achieved a major milestone in our grassroots fundraising campaign. We have raised $91,000—just $9,000 away from our $100k goal, —and we’re confident we’ll reach it by the end of the year! This success was made possible by our incredible community of fundraisers who inspired others to support us, the family foundations that continue to renew their trust in our mission, and  YOU —our amazing supporters who receive these monthly newsletter and witness the programs, events, and opportunities we create to bring communities together. Luis Salgado, Gabriela Garcia, Matt Steffens, Heather Hogan, and Denisse Ambert, the RL Directors, want to say a  GRACIAS!  Your belief in what we do fills us with confidence as we enter this ne...

  Feel the Earth Move Two dozen timeless hits make Beautiful a "Can’t Miss" Beautiful: The Carole King Musical  lights up the Axelrod stage starting  Friday, March 14, 2025 , sharing the inspiring story of Brooklyn-born  Carole King ’s rise to stardom. From penning hits for  Aretha Franklin  to becoming one of the most celebrated solo artists in history, this Tony-winning musical is packed with over two dozen timeless songs, including  Natural Woman  and  You’ve Got a Friend . BIG NEWS:  Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve added a fourth week! The show now runs through Sunday, April 6, 2025! Bringing this production to life is an incredible combination of director/choreographer and leading lady. One of Axelrod's most popular director/choreographers,  Luis Salgado,  returns to Axelrod for his fifth production, after dazzling audiences with  In the Heights (2017) ,  Ragtime (2018) ,  Tim Rice and Elton John’s AIDA (2...

This is for sure A Theatre Lover’s Journey  Over the past 10 days, I had the opportunity to see 21 shows in London—an experience that has left me utterly inspired and reaffirmed my passion for theatre. I still can't quite believe I managed to catch so many performances in such a short time! This reminds me of my time at the  Festival de Otoño  in Spain, where I also had a similar immersive art experience, or my time in Oregon recently. There's something about these moments that allow me to recharge, creatively and spiritually. As I reflect on this whirlwind theatre adventure, I can't help but chuckle at how many people ask me, "Why so many shows?" It’s funny, but my answer is always the same: Theatre is life. it's my craft, my profession nd my PASSION! It's also a way to refocus, connect with purpose, and yes, indulge in great meals and magical moments with like-minded friends. From laughter that left me in tears to moments of profound emotional depth, Lon...

Art isn’t just my profession—it’s my passion. I live in a constant state of learning and creating. Every time I step into a theater, I’m not just watching a show; I’m absorbing, observing, asking questions, and dreaming. Just finished choreographing Jesus Christ Super Star and I am ready for my break!  This week was an adventure fueled by inspiration. A simple conversation with my dear friend Diane Quinn led me to dive deeper into learning about Robert Lepage. Her guidance sparked the desire for his work a few years back, and before I knew it, I was booking tickets to Chicago to see  Hamlet .  Learning is a lifelong quest, after all, and the opportunity to experience Lepage’s work in person again and in a new form was one I couldn’t miss. I planned the trip quickly—tickets, a hotel, and a promise to go with the flow.  I also aimed to visit the team at The Miracle Center and check on a few other possibilities. Everything fell into place: I left home at 5 a.m., landed ...