Healing TREE Gala 2024 Live in NYC and Online

Jane Summerhays is a Tony Nominated actor, singer and dancer. She is best known for her roles on Broadway, including originating the role of Lady Jaqueline in Me and My Girl for which she was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award. Other notable performances include the 1998 revival of Cabaret (Fraulein Kost), LaChiusa’s The Wild Party (Madeline Tru, OBC), Taking Steps (Elizabeth, OBC), Lend Me A Tenor (Diana), Sugar Babies (The Soubrette) and A Chorus Line (Sheila) both on Broadway and as the original Sheila on London’s West End. On television, Jane is recognized for her portrayal of Claire Ann in HBO’s Sex & The City as well as Ed’s Mother in Ed on NBC. Other noteworthy credits include Off-Broadway: Noel & Gertie (Gertie Lawrence, York Theatre), On Approval (Maria, Roundabout Theatre). Regional: Anyone Can Whistle (Mayor Hooper), Bus Stop (Grace), A Loss of Roses (Helen). TV: Law & Order (Universal), New York News (CBS), The Cosby Mysteries (NBC), Working It Out (NBC), One Life to Live (ABC), All My Children (ABC).

Tony, Emmy, and Grammy-nominated artist N’Kenge has performed as a soloist at world-renowned illustrious performance venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Madison Square Garden and has headlined Pop and Opera concerts with Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, to name a few. N’Kenge has graced the stage as a presenter at the 58th Annual NY Emmy Awards. A proud alumni of both The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, N’Kenge made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim and was most recently on Broadway in the Tony-winning revival of Caroline, or Change. This energetic, well-rounded singer has performed with jazz greats, like Ornette Coleman and Wynton Marsalis, and was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of the leading roles in both the Elton John/Tim Rice Musical Aida and in Marion Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas by the Helen Hayes Awards and the Arizoni Theater Awards. 

In addition to her performances, N’Kenge is currently developing a Broadway-bound musical celebrating Dorothy Dandridge’s life and music. She is also developing a new TV musical dramedy, Black Butterfly, which she is co-producing with TV producer Gina G. Goff (Goff Productions).

Emmy Award Winner Lea DeLaria was the first openly gay comic on television in America. The creator of the infamous U-Haul joke, she is an accomplished Jazz performer who has performed in concert venues all over the world. Best known as ‘Big Boo’ from Orange is the New Black (3 SAG Awards), Lea can currently be seen in the indie films Holy Irresistible and the Indigo Girls jukebox feature film, Glitter & Doom. TV credits include GIRLS5EVA, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, East New York, The Blacklist, Physical, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Shameless, and Broad City. Film credits include Cars 3, Potato Dreams of America, Support The Girls, Edge of Seventeen, and First Wives Club. Lea originated the role of ‘Bernadette’ in the hit Broadway show POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, which is currently the most produced play in the world. She also appeared in The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott) and On The Town (Hildy), Obie and Theatre World Awards. @realleadelaria www.leadelaria.com

Kevin Kilner has been on big and small screens and stages for close to 40 years, and he still enjoys a terrifically written role in an important story … hopefully, with some laughs along the way. 

Broadway – he was a part of the 50th Anniversary Production of The Glass Menagerie w/ Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart, & Zeljko Ivanek.

Off-Broadway (partial) –  he was in the original cast of Donald Margulies’s Dinner With Friends (2000 Pulitzer Prize) at the Variety Arts Theatre, and also, Lemon Sky at the Clurman Theatre.

Regional credits (partial) include Admissions, at Studio Theatre; Other Desert Cities, at Bucks County Playhouse; Time Stands Still at the Adobe Rose Theatre; The Christians at D.C.P.A.

Films (partial) – I Have Love In Me (short); The Unattainable Story; Paranoia; Raising Helen; A Cinderella Story; Home Alone III.

Television (partial) – most recently FBI Most Wanted; East New York; Acapulco; Dynasty (CW re-launch); Bonding; The Plot Against America; Bull; NCIS; The Blacklist; The Good Wife; House Of Cards; (over 140 episodes of Television).

Tiffany Mann is a dynamic singer and actress known for her powerful voice and vibrant personality. Daughter of legendary gospel artist Tamela Mann and comedian David Mann, Tiffany has carved her own path in the entertainment industry. She spreads joy and positivity through comedic content centered on mental health and self-love. Tiffany’s accolades include acclaimed performances on Broadway (Waitress the Musical, Be More Chill Original Broadway Cast) and television (Orange is the New Black, New Amsterdam), where her talent continues to shine. A passionate mental health advocate, she encourages others to embrace their authentic selves and push past fear, inspiring many with her musical anthem “Do It Anyway.” @iamtiffanymann

Paige Smallwood (She/They) is an actor/storyteller who believes in the healing the power of art, music and theatre. Recent credits include Understudy Sally Bowles in Cabaret: at the Kit Kat Club, OBC of Bad Cinderella, Peggy/Maria in Hamilton, and Eponine in Les Miserables. They are beyond honored to be a part of their second Healing TREE Gala; a night of giving, growing, and gaining perspective for such an important cause. Thank you to Marissa and Healing TREE for their tireless work and dedication. “You are not alone, believe me, no one is alone.”

As an actor, his roles in productions such as Disney’s Shake It Up’, TNT’s The Last Ship, and Netflix’s Away have conveyed diverse narratives to global audiences. In addition to his acting career, Adam is the Founder and President of Double 9 Productions, a production company dedicated to highlighting Latiné stories on both big and small screens. 

Beyond his professional roles, Adam has shared industry insights and career advice through speaking engagements at institutions like Pace University and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Gold Program.

Dr. Jamie+ Marich (she/they/we) began her career as a humanitarian aid worker in Bosnia-Herzegovina where they primarily taught English and music from 2000 to 2003. Jamie travels internationally, teaching on topics related to trauma, EMDR Therapy, expressive arts, mindfulness and yoga, while maintaining a private practice and online education operations in her home base of Akron, Ohio.

Marich’s books include You Lied to Me About God, Dissociation Made Simple, EMDR Made Simple, Trauma Made Simple, Dancing Mindfulness, Process Not Perfection, Trauma and the 12 Steps in addition to other titles.

The New York Times featured Marich’s writing and work on Dancing Mindfulness in 2017 and 2020. NALGAP awarded Jamie with their esteemed President’s Award in 2015 for her work as an LGBT+ advocate. The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) granted Marich the 2019 Advocacy in EMDR Award for her using her public platform to advance awareness about EMDR and to reduce stigma around mental health. The Huffington Post published her personal story of being out as a clinical professional with a dissociative disorder in May 2023.

Matthew is YOUR favorite cousin and hails from the great state of Louisiana but has lived in Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Atlanta.  In his spare time you can find him binge watching something on Netflix, in a boxing class,  cooking and/or trying to make himself sneeze. He spends time tutoring math virtually and loves to share all he knows with anyone that will listen. Matthew’s most recent credits include, The Book of Mormon National Tour, Motown National Tour, a few commercials and made his Broadway debut with the revival of The Wiz. Matthew is a performer to the core and is passionate about making the day of everyone he meets a little bit brighter. 

Annie Hägg and the High Kicks is an American jazz band formed in New York City in 2023, comprising Annie Hägg (vocals), Izaak Mills (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Pat Brennan (guitar) and Seth Myers (bass). Rooted in 1920’s and 1930’s swing, the group also performs classics from Mexico (boleros, huapangos), Brazil (choros) and Spain (coplas).

Josh Kight is an award-winning music director, orchestrator, and writer who has worked on and off-broadway and in regional theaters around the US. His recent shows include Hamilton, Evita, A Beautiful Noise and Sunset Boulevard. As a champion of new work, Josh works closely with Truth Future Bachman at The Public, as well as co-creating new work with Larry Owens like Sondheimia, which played to a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall in 2022 and had its Los Angeles premiere in Spring 2023. Josh also recently scored and music supervised the film, The Gag, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in Summer 2023. For more info, visit joshkight.org

Immanuel Williams is a freelance bassist, guitarist, pianist, singer, songwriter and educator. Originally from Annapolis Maryland, Immanuel moved to New York to attend NYU for a master’s degree in jazz studies in 2017. Since then, he has found a passion in traveling throughout the country playing music with different bands and companies.

Jeremy Yaddaw originated and recorded the drum books for‬‭ The Lightning Thief: The Percy‬ Jackson Musical‬‭, Ryan Scott Oliver’s‬‭ 35mm‬‭, Jahn Sood’s‬‭ The Disappearing Man‬‭, Marshall‬ Pailet’s‬‭ Triassic Parq‬‭, and Michael Friedman’s‬‭ Pretty Filthy‬‭ and‬‭ The Abominables‬‭. Jeremy has‬ served as principal percussionist for The American Pops Orchestra (2015-2022), tour drummer‬ for Randy Rainbow (2018-2020), and has played extensively with Orfeh & Andy Karl, Lauren‬ Marcus, Rosie’s Theater Kids, The Four Phantoms, Write Out Loud, and many others. He has‬ also worked as drum tech for David Byrne’s‬‭ American Utopia‬‭, drum tech/auxiliary percussionist‬‭ for the band Guster, and is music coordinator at the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont. His‬ short film‬‭ Onder de Brug‬, a tribute to Joris Ivens, has not won any awards.‬

“Arcoiris Sandoval is one of my favorite young pianists and composers. She has her own voice and creative point of view with an infectious energy to whatever she plays. In other words, this young woman can play!!” George Cables

Arcoiris Sandoval is a jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and Fulbright award recipient currently residing in New York City originally from Tucson, Arizona. She leads her own trio and quintet project called Sonic Asylum and is the Co-Director of an award winning multimedia orchestra called The D.O.M.E. Experience along with acclaimed bassist and composer Mimi Jones which aims to raise environmental and social awareness through the integration of orchestral composition, choreography and immersive cinematography. She toured, recorded and was the MD for vocalist Allan Harris for over five years. She performs with actress, comedian and vocalist Lea DeLaria and also performs with The Mingus Big Band. She has written, conducted and performed string arrangements with vocalist Tammy McCann at Lincoln Center which were also performed at the Music Institute of Chicago. In 2022, she was the keyboardist for an orchestral tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center.

She obtained her Master’s degree in jazz piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and is a two time ASCAP young jazz composer award winner in addition to being a semifinalist at in the Montreux Solo Jazz Piano competition, a participant in the Mary Lou Williams Festival as well as the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program where she was mentored by jazz pianist heavy weights Marc Cary and Jason Moran. She also participated in the Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop directed by Vince Mendoza featuring guest artist Richard Bona and her arrangement was subsequently performed by Richard Bona with the Metropole Orkest at the 2016 BBC Proms tribute to Quincy Jones. She was also a finalist at the inaugural Ellis Marsalis Jazz Piano Competition in summer 2018. She has performed at major festivals throughout the world including Umbria Jazz Festival several times with Allan Harris, NYC Jazz Piano Festival, Vermont Jazz Center Solo Piano Festival, Tucson Jazz Festival where she performed with legendary jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb in 2015 and in 2017 she opened for Tower of Power with Lonnie Plaxico, as well as Telluride Jazz and many others.

In 2018, she released her debut Sonic Asylum Trio album entitled “First Voyage” featuring Marty Kenney on bass and Allan Mednard on drums which won a Global Music Award. Her Sonic Asylum trio and quintet project has performed at NYC Winter Jazzfest in 2024, the Kennedy Center, Vermont Jazz Emerging Artist festival, Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Concert Series and she won a Chamber Music America Performance Plus grant for this ensemble to work with Billy Childs as well as being a 2024 South Arts Grant recipient. Her original composition “Journey to Agartha” is now published in Terri Lyne Carrington’s compilation called “New Standards, 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers”.

Dylan Shamat is a bassist, composer and educator based in New York City. Dylan was born and raised in St. Paul, MN where he began his musical studies on the violin at the age of 4. He moved to New York where he studied at the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School. In 2010 Dylan was selected to participate in the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Academy to learn from jazz greats Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, Russell Malone and Terrence Blanchard.

Dylan enjoys a performing career playing a variety of styles in countless venues across the United States, in Asia, and in Europe. He performs regularly with Lea DeLaria, Allan Harris, Tony Desare, Cyrille Aimee, the Konrad Paszkudzki Trio as well as in the off Broadway production ‘Sleep No More’. He can be heard on the Cyrille Aimee album ‘Live’ (2018) as well as several recordings by the Konrad Paszkudzki trio on the Venus record label. He has performed at The Kennedy Center, The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Cannes Film Festival, and has been featured on NPR’s Jazz Night in America.

Since 2016 Dylan has performed pops concerts with many major North American orchestras including Houston symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra. He has worked with many current jazz legends including Peter Bernstein, Dick Oatts, Janis Siegel and the Count Basie Orchestra.

In 2021 Dylan was featured on the TV special “Take Me Back to Manhattan” which was nominated for an Emmy. In the program he can be heard accompanying Pasquale Grasso, Catherine Russell, Champian Fulton and others.

Dylan maintains an active teaching schedule through masterclasses for musicians of all ages across the United States. In 2019 he began participating in Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program, teaching and performing in public schools across New York.

Coming soon

Dr. Jessica Means is a pianist and breast cancer surgeon. Trained as a classical pianist, she has accompanied the musical theatre community in New York and across the country, most recently as Tony Winner Alice Ripley’s pianist. With degrees from Harvard and Columbia, she completed her surgical training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical in Boston, MA, and is now completing breast surgical oncology fellowship.