Hope Through Our Art is a powerful movement that explores how creativity serves as a vital tool for healing, resilience and community connection. Whether through formal nonprofits or individual practice, art is often described as the “highest form of hope” because it transforms internal struggles into tangible, shared experiences.
Meet our panel: Elena Bennett is the winner of a MAC Hanson Award, and a BACKSTAGE Bistro Outstanding Vocalist Award, among others. She has performed in countless venues as an actress and a singer, drawing on a uniquely powerful and versatile voice. She specializes in creative renditions of classics and novelties drawn from the American Popular Songbook, as well as soul-stirring interpretations of Edith Piaf’s songs. As an actress she starred in the acclaimed musical theatre piece Erik and the Snow Maidens, and toured the country as the lead singer of the sell-out big-band revue Forever Swing. While a student at Connecticut College, she co-founded the Chip Miller-Elena Bennett Jazz Quartet. She has since sung with innumerable great musicians, including Les Paul, Murray Grand, Albert Hague, Billy Stritch, Jason Robert Brown, and many more. She was lead vocalist for the Charles Brown Band, and the big band, “The Music Masters”. She was brought to Sydney, Australia by the Minister of Culture and Protocol to perform, also acting as the talent judge for the city’s massive Cabaret Convention, and has made multiple appearances at the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s New York Cabaret Convention, as well, with the inimitable Fred Barton by her side at the piano.
Their work together at the late, legendary Eight-Eights led Elena to produce her Big Band album, “A Wrinkle in Swingtime” (still streaming on all major platforms & available on CD in the original tri-fold, liner note booklet, artful packaging — featuring Elena singing 13 classics and novelties, with Fred Barton’s lush orchestrations for a band of 27 of New York’s finest musicians.
She came out of the pandemic swinging, of course, with critically acclaimed cabaret shows: Swing Out Under the Moon, We Know a Swing or Two, and, of course, the legendary Bennett & Barton Song Salon.
She is currently planning a new show for the spring, pursuing voice acting, working back stage on Broadway, and taking time to call and write her representatives in Washington as often as possible. https://about.me/lady29palms
Sarah Carson came to cabaret in 2018 from a background in classical voice and opera, following many years of community musical theatre and chorus work. Cabaret offered a new creative freedom, the ability to play with music and song, collaborate deeply with creative partners, and tell personal stories across genres, from opera and classic standards to pop, rock, and parody. Sarah Carson is a two-time MAC Award nominee, recognized for Debut Artist (2022) and Female Artist (2024). She has previously presented England and America – A Transatlantic Love Story and Strange Magic – A Musical Journey Through the Unconscious Mind at Don’t Tell Mama.
Robert Driemeyer is a versatile theatre producer, performer, and digital creator best known as the personality behind Broadway Barfly, a YouTube channel and live show that pairs Broadway history and music with cocktail mixology.robertdriemeyer.com
Scott Brogan is the author of the critically acclaimed new book, “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” which chronicles Garland’s legendary career at MGM during the golden age of Hollywood.
Brogan is also the webmaster and author of the world-famous Judy Room website, which includes the largest and most detailed Garland discography ever compiled. He is also the author and webmaster of the Judy Garland News & Events blog, which features the “On Th is Day” series that presents thousands of images and details about Garland’s life and career for each day of the year. For eight years he was the designer and webmaster of Liza Minnelli’s official website.
He is world renowned for the design and content of these sites and is a respected expert on Garland’s career, having been a major contributor to books about Garland and/or her films, as well as books about the MGM Studios, in addition to podcasts, live stream events, and radio programs.
For four years, Brogan worked as a researcher and author for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. His program essays have been cataloged by the Library of Congress and translated into several languages. He was also a community columnist for the San Francisco Bay Area Reporter.
Jeremy Sussman is a New York-based cabaret entertainer and former attorney known for his “charming and enthusiastic” interpretations of the American Songbook. After a career in law, he transitioned into performing full-time, often focusing on rare or “curious” vintage novelty songs. His last big thing was a reprise of my autobiographical show From No Business to Show Business at Mama’s on Feb 26.
