What do chocolate, champagne and caviar have to do with a night at Community Synagogue? These delicacies are savored like the words and music of each tune performed by five of Broadway’s finest vocalists during Broadway Spotlight: an evening of music and laughter at the the Community Synagogue, October 23, 2011 presented by the Sisterhood.

New York Casting Director Stephen DeAngelis produced and hosted this annual event uniting Beth Leavel (Tony and Drama Desk Award winner -The Drowsy Chaperone, Baby It’s You, Mamma Mia!), Shuler Hensley (Tony and Drama Desk Award Winner – Oklahoma!, Young Frankenstein, Les Miserables, Tarzan), Jose Llana (Drama Desk – The King and I, Flower Drum Song, Rent) with Sara Jean Ford ( currently starring as Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera, whose resume includes A Little Night Music and Finian’s Rainbow), and Kissy Simmons ( The Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jacques Brel.)  Musical Director and Accompanist, Eugene Gwozdz performed his magic on the keyboard beginning our evening with the overture from Man of La Mancha.

Beth Leavel, dripping in diamonds, sang out with a rich, warm voice, and perfect comedic timing. While singing, “ I Only Have Eyes for You” she interjected bits about her stage dilemma when everything was going wrong, including the large slit in her snug red velvet gown, and a broken doorknob that curtailed her awaited stairway entrance.

Jose Llana performed in a slick, tailored gray suit, which complemented his silky serenades. He shared tales of his musical return to his native Philippines and how he snuck into his first Broadway audition and landed the role of Lun Tha in the Broadway revival of The King and I.

Like a gazelle in a fire orange dress, a very talented and sexy Kissy Simmons, used surprised audience member Dr. Howie Heiman as her target for “Cry me A River.”  Later Dr. Heiman explained, “It was a rush – you had to compose yourself for the moment as an accessory to the star. I am naturally shy – I did what I usually do.”

Shuler Hensley’s piercing eyes stared out at the audience as he got into character. His final selection was a song from Les Miserables playing Javert.  This role was his Broadway debut ten years ago, after 9 -11 and he spoke of the cathartic effect theater had on the actors and the audience. The song was met with uproarious applause.

Sara Jean Ford, wearing black satin bows, and black and white leopard flouncing crinoline is a diminutive blonde engine generating a voice with a broad operatic range and shoulders that shimmy sexily. Assisted by twelve-year old Alexandra De Angelis her rendition of “Popular” from Wicked was a treat.

Performer Beth Leavel, described the comradiere of the actors, as, “delicious cohorts in musical comedy crime,” where the audience was the lucky beneficiary.

“The evening was extraordinary," said Elyse Tepper. "The performers reached out as though they were singing just to you. Every years event  surpasses the year before.”