By Deb Silverthorn

Jewish Family Service (JFS) Just for Show returns to the stage with “A Look Behind the Curtain: Songs and Stories from Broadway” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at the Majestic Theatre. Broadway legends Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer will be the featured performers.

“We are so excited to bring these stars to Dallas for what will be such a beautiful, fun and memorable evening. They are delightful, extremely talented and will no doubt captivate our attendees with their talent,” said Cathy Barker, JFS president and CEO.

Barker explained that the fundraising event is critical to JFS’ mission “to provide effective and accessible, whole-person care that promotes lifelong self-sufficiency and well-being for the Greater Dallas community.”

Sandra Joseph is lauded for her legendary, more than 10-year run as Christine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera.” With more than 1,500 performances, she is recognized as the longest-running leading lady in Broadway’s longest-running show, which, after 35 years and more than 13,000 performances, closes April 16. Joseph wrote “Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway” and cowrote “Your Creative Soul: Expressing Your Authentic Voice.”

In more than 25 years on Broadway, Ron Bohmer has starred as the Phantom as well as in “A Little Night Music,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “Les Misérables,” “High School Musical,” “The Woman in White” and the revival of “Ragtime.”

Married since June of 2002, the couple met five years earlier on stage in “Phantom.” Living in San Diego, they perform in concerts, as keynote speakers and for other events both live and virtually from their in-home studio.

Co-chairs of the evening are Anita and Todd Chanon, Michael Kaufman and Durward Watson. The couples look forward to welcoming the community in-person once again.

“We will always be happy in any way possible to support Jewish Family Service. Our love for all the goodness that comes from inside is ongoing,” said Todd Chanon, a JFS former chair whose dedication to the agency has never waned.

He added, “The needs and obligations for JFS to help thousands and thousands in our community increased over the pandemic. Despite the challenges we pushed forth, the work gets done and more and more is offered. We, as a community, need to always be ready to help. The Just For Show event is a party, a good time and a great opportunity to do that.”

JFS, nationally accredited in all service areas by the Council on Accreditation, is a United Way Agency and a community partner of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. JFS offers wraparound care to address multiple needs. Its sliding scale, even to zero cost, made a difference and changed lives for more than 31,000 people in 2022.

Over 70 years, the agency has come to provide more than 100 different services, groups, programs and specialists in the areas of mental health support for all ages, food pantry, older adult needs, career and employment, family violence intervention and emergency assistance. In 2022, 840 volunteers gave 13,983 hours to enhance and enable those programs to succeed.

Kaufman, who is also a past-chair of JFS, is excited about returning to in-person celebrations of the community and about all that JFS does to honor and support the agency.

“JFS has been a part of our lives for more than a decade. Its mission and hard work is as important and strong as ever. Our support of the continuance of all of the programs, and the amazing staff and volunteers who help those in our community every single day, in so very many ways, is greater than ever. To bring Broadway to town, as a way to bring in donors which make it all happen, is terrific and we just can’t wait,” said Kaufman.

Individual tickets may be purchased for $150, with a limited number — for those 35 and younger — available at $50; sponsorships begin at $1,800. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit
jfsjustforshow.org.