LYNNFIELD –– Voices of Hope will be holding its 16th annual Fall Gala on Oct. 4 at the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT). Funds raised by Voices of Hope go to support cancer research at the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies at MGH Cancer Center.
Voices of Hope was founded in 2009 by Greg Chastain after having great success with a concert in honor of his mother, which raised $17,000 for cancer research. He realized that what was originally going to be a one-time event was too powerful to let it stop there. They have since raised over $1.2 million for cancer research.
Greg’s mom passed from cancer in 2009 while he was cast in a local production of “Aida” a week before the show opened. In the period following his mother’s death, the rest of the cast “became a lifeline” for Chastain, and he realized the theater and the people in it could be “a great source of healing.”
This years Fall Gala will be an “enchanted evening of musical storytelling” that brings legends to life as “magical moments transport you to a world where the impossible becomes possible.”
The performance will include classic routines such as Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination,” as well as empowering anthems such as “Freak Flag,” “Defying Gravity,” and “Go the Distance.” These songs and more will lead attendees on an inspiring journey while supporting cancer research in memory of those lost by the cast and all others affected by cancer.
The Gala will feature “Broadway power couple” Matt DeAngelis and Christine Dwyer, both from Lynnfield and married in 2018. Between them they have more than 3000 performances on Broadway and Broadway national tours.
DeAngelis has appeared in “Hair,” “Rent,” “Waitress,” and “Swept Away.” Dwyer appeared as Elphaba in the second national tour of “Wicked” and also appeared in “Rent” and “Waitress.” They both appeared as leads in the NSMT production of “Waitress,” where they learned of Voices of Hope’s mission.
DeAngelis’ own connection to cancer and cancer philanthropy – he lost his mother to cancer as well, and also founded a cancer research non-profit – led him and Dwyer to collaborate with Voices of Hope for this Gala.
Tickets are available at vohboston.org/events for $50-60 dollars each. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the event will kick off with a silent auction before the performance begins at 8 p.m. Proceeds from ticket sales and the auction will benefit the Termeer Center.
“With music as our voice, our performances bring healing and hope to all those whose lives have been forever changed by cancer,” Chastain wrote. “I know my mom will be smiling down on me always as we continue to raise our Voices of Hope.”
