Reese's Wish - A Little Broadway Magic
By Caroline Ver Planck, Coordinator, Special Events & Community Fundraising and Wish Granter
Despite their shutdown, Broadway shined bright last Monday, but not from the lights of the theaters or the cheers of crowds. It was joy radiating from us all as we made our first Broadway wish in over a year come true.
Reese is a 16-year-old from West Virginia, who is bravely battling cancer. A lover of all things Broadway, she wanted to experience some of her favorite shows. Unfortunately, due to her treatment plan and prognosis, it was unlikely her wish could wait until Broadway theaters reopen.
So, her family took a road trip for a jam-packed weekend that included visits to the American Museum of Natural History (the Planetarium was a hit), the Empire State Building and shopping in Soho. But the real excitement came when Reese’s wish to experience Broadway came true – and I couldn’t have been more excited to be a part of it.
With the help of our friends at Broadway Plus, we were able to put together a completely customized Broadway experience for Reese, despite the theaters’ current shuttered doors. Everything was tailored to her, to help her live her Broadway dreams, even if she couldn’t see the shows.
We started at the Walter Kerr Theatre, home of Reese’s favorite show, Hadestown. She met with the show’s stage manager, Beverly, who shared some exciting news - they’ll be returning to Broadway and reopening in early September!
Reese was so excited, but even better than this news was a visit from Reeve Carney, the star of the show, who surprised all of us! They spent some time two exploring the set together and chatting about their favorite moments from the show. She was beaming, uncovering secrets of the set and sharing a bit about her life with one of her favorite stars.
Reese’s next stop was the iconic Gershwin Theater, where Wicked plays! She and her family had a private tour through the incredible theater, starstruck by each set piece, poster and costume we saw. She marveled over the Oz-inspired costumes, grinning (even through her mask) as she got to hold Glinda’s wand!
We then were greeted by Nathaniel Hill, Make-A-Wish Metro New York Junior Board member and founder of Broadway Plus, who led us on a New York City history lesson that centered around the Theater District. The pair hit it off, exchanging theater fun-facts as we walked along Broadway.
But the true excitement came when Nathaniel invited us to visit Broadway Plus headquarters for yet another surprise – a concert perfectly curated to Reese. We were greeted by Broadway stars Alex Brightman (Beettlejuice), Kimberly Marable (Hadestown), Naysh Fox (Book of Mormon), and Nikki Renee Daniels (Hamilton/Book of Mormon) who performed a personalized concert to all of Reese’s favorite songs.
A true lover of Beetlejuice, when its star, Alex, walked in the room, Reese could not contain her joy. It was truly amazing to witness. The two chatted and he signed and gave her his Beetlejuice backpack, right off his back. You could tell it was a special moment for both.
Even through her mask, you could just feel Reese’s joy. She even had to step away from the concert, overcome with joy and excitement.
But Reese wasn’t the only one in the room who felt her joy. For the actors who joined us, it was some of the first times they’ve had a live audience in over a year.
“We’re so grateful to be able to do what we love as a career, which is rare,” said Naysh, who made his Broadway debut just before the pandemic hit. “So, being able to give back, even in a small amount, from being able to do what we love every day (past year excluded), is such a gift.”
To Kimberly, theater is a way to celebrate life, both on stage and off, and loved getting to experience that part of Reese’s wish. “I think it’s so important in general to regain a sense of human connection,” she said. “We’ve lost so much of that over the last year and change, so to be able to just be in the same space as Reese and to do something she enjoys, which is musical theater, which we enjoy too. It was a real gift to all of us.”
Reese rated the experience a 1000/10, as she got to talk with each of the cast members, geek out on their favorite moment from each musical and even go home with special signed memorabilia from the shows. More than anything, she was grateful she got to experience Broadway this way – with no “Times Square Crowds.”
As her mom put it, Reese’s theater wish was so important because musical theater and the theater community have truly welcomed her with open arms. Theater never judged her for her differences, but instead included her and made her feel like she had a home as she battled cancer over the past year. Since COVID and cancer treatment, Reese has felt severe isolation, but has managed to keep a positive outlook because of her discovery of musical theater and those in the Broadway community. Her mom said that it was a “a joy to talk to people in person” and that having something to look forward was something their whole family needed.
And her wish day was no different, as the Broadway community welcomed her like one of their own. As Reese squealed and giggled throughout the entire show, her parents were emotional as they noted how brave she has been over the past few years, and as she continues palliative care at home. Each person in the room at the office had such open arms and truly made the day so special.
“There’s a reason they call it Broadway magic,” Naysh said, of why Broadway wishes are so special. “It’s not the same as a movie – it’s live, there’s an exchange between the audience and the performers. Any performer will tell you that every night is different because the audience is different, you’re different. The audience can be transported to another land, or a magic land, like Uganda or Hadestown – it’s magic in its name.”
As a fellow theater-lover myself, and a lover of wishes, it was truly the best day. To see the Broadway community step up to support Reese, even after a devastating year for them, was moving in so many ways. To hear music live again, and to be welcomed with such enthusiasm and kindness. It was a day of pure joy, and a little Broadway magic.