“JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON’S ‘I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: A SANDERSON SISTER ACT’ STREAM ANNOUNCED AFTER LIVE SHOW RAISES $375,000 FOR ALI FORNEY CENTER

by DKC/O&M, October 16, 2026

Press Contacts
Rick Miramontez / Abby Kelley
rick@omdkc.com / abby@omdkc.com
212 695 7400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON’S
“I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: A SANDERSON SISTER ACT”
RAISES RECORD-BREAKING
$375,000 & SET TO STREAM FOR HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

Photo by Katie Mollison.
To download production photos, click here.

New York, NY (October 16, 2026) – Producers Jay Armstrong Johnson, Joe Hornberger, and Shannon Molly Flynn announced today that I Put a Spell on You: A Sanderson Sister Act, Jay Armstrong Johnson’s annual Hocus Pocus-themed Halloween concert evening, raised a record-breaking $375,000 for the Ali Forney Center, supporting their work to end homelessness among LGBTQIA+ youth. And the fundraising isn’t over! A film of the performance will stream via Stellar Friday, October 30^th through Sunday November 1^st, with proceeds from that also benefitting the non-profit.

Streaming tickets are available here. The filmed capture is directed by Catriona Rubenis-Stevens, with live show direction by Heath Saunders and Mack Brown.

Last year’s performance raised more than $345,000 and helped the AFC achieve the milestone of purchasing its first permanent shelter, Casa Cecilia, named in honor of the late transgender activist Cecilia Gentili. The shelter has since opened in Harlem.

A Sanderson Sister Act stars Johnson (Parade, The Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge!), Allison Godleski, and Sydnie Roy, alongside five-time Emmy nominee Bowen Yang, Tony Award Nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers, Anania, Stacey Badgett Jr., Stephen Brower, DeMarius R. Copes, Jules Geiss, Reese Havoc, Chance Hoover, Isio–Maya, Hanukah Lewinsky, Olivia Lux, Maddox Martin, Isabelle McCalla, Jimin Moon, Justice Moore, Blaine Petrovia, Chelsea Piers, Kathryn Priest, Hannah Solow, Bethany Tesarck, Jeanna de Waal, Garnet Williams, and Teddy Wilson Jr.. Appearing virtually are Tony Nominee Eva Noblezada, Director of Disney’s Hocus Pocus and Emmy Winner Kenny Ortega, and the original Mary Sanderson, Kathy Najimy.

The ensemble includes Markie Aguirre, David Nick Alea, E Anastasia, Claire Avakian, Topher Babb, Lexi Baldichino, Sophie Barry, Aubee Billie, Macey Bleu, Raven Bright, Delaney Burke, Dianne Cano, Rhys Carr, Daniel Chesnut, Sidney Choothesa, Jocelyn Clark, Anaya Colon, Jack Dodson, Todd Donovan, Mollie Downes, Nico Lugo Echeverri, Joshua Leon Eguia, Zachary Eisenberg, Kelsey Elisabeth, Thea Erichson, Gabby Ferro, Victoria Fiore, Nathan Fister, Cassandra Gauthier, Michael George, Rachel Grinde, Sarah Guarisco, Hazel Hakel, Isabel Harding, Chris Henry, Camren Hiliyer, Dominick Hubbard, EmmaLee Hutchinson, Regan Jackson, Brittany Jenkins, Dainique Jones, Diamond Jones, Rachel Kay, Cameryn Kelly, Ken, Megan Kramer, Holden Kunowski, Jacob Kurihara, Jessie Lawyer, Rachel Lockhart, Jesse Lozano, Bella Luttrell, Christopher Marinelli, Samantha Marszalek, José Martinez-Chavarria, Paolo Martini, Julia Mato, Anna Sofia McGuire, Tony Mercado, Nick Meyers, Abigail Miller, Ruth Łchav’aya K’isen Miller, Abby Miller, Jayleen Montes, Felipe Morales, Anna Nader, Cole Neville, Jaida Ocasio-Parvaiz, Deon Oliverio, Adolfo Ortiz-Feder, Junior Osas, Taylor O’Toole, Emilio Padilla, Clairisa S. Patton, Mekhi Payne, Mattson Pearce, De’André Pearson, Caroline Poulis, Minga Prather, Carly Smith Quenqua, Raye Ramirez, Jonathan Reyes, Ravyn Rhiana, Gordon Michael Rick, Kerry Rimmer, Sashalie Rios, Corey Rives, Sarina Robbins, Lakeria Robinson, Luis Rojas, Nelly Roos, Aliya Rose, Matthew Rossetti, Sierra Rusnak, Victoria Santiago, Ian Saunders, Bella Savastano, Nikki Sember, Jake Siffert, Mack Simmons, Omari Simmons, Evie Thiebaud, Maya Thomas, Francisco Thurston, Aidan Toth, Gianna Velez, Ian Vicidedo, Izzy Warren, Sarah Webb, Seth Webster, David Wright Jr., YoYo Zhou, and Jessica Ziolkowski.

This year features choreography by Chip Abbott, Elias Alfau, Quincy Ellis, Cam Gradel, Dava Huesca, Michael McCrary, Arianne Meneses, Alex Mitchell, Justice Moore, Isaiah Silvia-Chandley, Sissa Strain, Michael Anthony Sylvester, and Renell Taylor. Associate Choreographers include Kailin Brown, Taylor Daniels, Maria Desario, Kali Hightower, Dainique Jones, TJ Tapp, Dahlia Qumhiyeh, Leah Read, Mack Simmons, Ahren Victory, and assistant Kaylie Wood.

A Sanderson Sister Act is made possible with the generous support of Sean Nyberg and Paul Danforth, Katie & Jordan Crim, Tom Schumacher, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Todd & Elizabeth Donovan, Kiehl’s, Morrison Global , Nestle Nespresso USA, Frank Selvaggi & Bill Shea, Andy Jones, Sean Cocchia, Genevieve Kenney & Al Beech, Mindy Dougherty Baiada with At Rise Creative, Elizabeth Hornberger, Javi Morgado, Heated Rivalry: The UNAUTHORIZED Musical Parody, Richie Jackson & Jordan Roth, Emily Vacher, Sam Kantrow with Cherry Bomb Creative, Another Fcking Horror Podcast, Broadway Plus, Amy Levine, Ben Crocker, Glenn Gunderson, Elizabeth Poston, Katie Taylor, Pinky Verma, and Jill Weissman.

Executive producer Johnson will also be joined by producers Shannon Molly Flynn and Joe Hornberger with producing oversight from Andy Jones of Baseline Theatrical. A Sanderson Sister Act is co-directed by Heath Saunders and Mack Brown and written by M Sloth Levine.

Sean Gorski of Hudson Theatrical Associates continues as the event’s Co-Production Manager with Sean McGrath, alongside Creative Director and Founding Designer DW (The Costume Studio), Supervising Choreographer Michael Anthony Sylvester (NYCC’s In The Heights), Director of Hair and Makeup Kyle Krueger (Purple Rain), Music Supervisor Jackson Teeley (Parade), Music Consultant Will Van Dyke (Mamma Mia!), Production Stage Manager Caroline Pastore, Lighting Designer Andrew Garvis, Scenic Designer Joshua Warner, Sound Designer Chon Calvin, Props Supervisor Addison Heeren, Video Supervisor Brian Pacelli, Director of Media and Graphic Design Kat Wright. Additional writing and direction is by Daniel Leeman Smith and Josephine Tarrant, with support from Safe Harbors NYC.

Associate Producers include Amber Coates, Jonathan Fierros, Tia Harewood-Millington, Tony Harris, Westin Hicks, Taylor Iman Jones, Devon Kish, Sierra Milizano, Mikayla Petrilla, Nick Puglia, Nicholas James Reilly, Donna Reinhold, Jaida Rivera, Lina Silver, Cecelia Ticktin, Christian David Tinajero, and Samuel Weber. With Assistant Producers Meghan Fitton, Devon Kish, and Esmé Maria Ng.

The production team also includes Josh Barry (Makeup Supervisor), Paul Behrhorst (Accessibility Coordinator), Kelsey Buerger (Wardrobe Coordinator), Courville Butt (Hair Supervisor), Tori Carboni (Associate Supervising Choreographer), Taylor Daniels (Associate Supervising Choreographer), John Findlay (Costume Coordinator), Nora Fisher (Wardrobe Supervisor), Hannah Frye-Ginsberg (Production Coordinator), Tim Fuchs (Pro-Shot Picture Editor), Stephen George (Pro Shot Sound Editor) Isaiah Howell (Production Audio), Joshua Keen (Teaser Editor), Ryan Marsh (Lightning Programmer), Pam McCaddin (Production Electrician), Sean McGrath (Co-Production Manager), Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman of MurphyMade (Key Art Photography), Maddie Peterson (Art Direction), Jake Primmerman (Director of Photography, PRIMME CREATIVE), Celina Revollar (Hair & Makeup Stage Manager), Catriona Rubenis-Stevens (Director for Video), Caroline Mariko Stucky (Live Show Capture), Yasmyn Sumiyoshi (Choreography Coordinator), Kevin Thurber (A1), Tristan Van Tine (Production Video), Christina Vida Roldos (Associate Director of Hair & Makeup), Maddie Winningham (Associate Production Manager), and Peter James Zielinski (Key Art Editing). Stage Managers include: Rachel Brown, Abi Cedeno, Michele Corregio, Deanna Crawford, Kennis Georges, Caroline Inches, Jason A. Quinn, Donna Reinhold, Dani Simon, Jared Six, Benjamin Vigil, Gabriella Walko, Aaron Watson, Kellie Williams.

Costumes for A Sanderson Sister Act will be designed by Martín Lara Avila, John Beltre, Jessica Teaira Crawford, Thomas Gluodenis, AC Gottlieb, Brian Hemesath, Hunter Kaczorowski, Miss Indigo Leigh, James Nguyen, Maddie Peterson, Brenda Phelps, Athena Randall, Filippa Sandlin, Steven Smith, Claudia Spackman, Jamie Torres, and Julia Squier. Completing the department is Taylor Barnett, Rian Buksbazen, Gabi Manuel Burdette, and Liv Kurtz.

The performance will feature makeup, hair/wigs, and SFX by Elisa Abend-Goldferb, Shannon Lee Carroll, Josh Coleman, Joey DeVirgilio, Leah Herron, Axel Hurtado, Christina Kim, Melanie Licata, Yamilet Lopez, Derrick Medina, Loryn Pretorius, Brandon Proaño, Melanie Dela Rosa, Alexis Santos, Mira Scirica, Cesar Silva, and Suki Tsujimoto. The Alcone Company continues as the event’s makeup sponsor.

Pro Shot and Video Production Team led by Associate Producers Cecelia Ticktin and Donna Reinhold, alongside Pro Shot Director Catriona Rubenis-Stevens and Director of Photography Caroline Stucky. Camera Operators Becky Yee, Ben Crocker, Brad Reeb, Chris Jadallah, Jeremy Varner, and Shuhan Xie, with Production Assistant Joe Stewart. Sound Recordists Irving Gadoury and Sam Grossman, Picture and Color Editor Tim Fuchs, Sound Editor Stephen George, and Teaser Trailer Editor Josh Keen.

Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker famously starred in the original 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus directed by Kenny Ortega.

To donate, please click here. For more information visit SpellOnYouNYC.com. To learn more about The Ali Forney Center, visit AliForneyCenter.org.

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Every day is opening night.

“JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON’S ‘I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: A SANDERSON SISTER ACT’ STREAM ANNOUNCED AFTER LIVE SHOW RAISES $375,000 FOR ALI FORNEY CENTER