Community Events


Saturday, March 4 at 8pm

Smiling Through It All: Comedy for a Cause

Legacy Theatre partners with the Frank Frumento Foundation for an evening of comedy to raise funds for a local family in need. Four Connecticut comedians take the Legacy stage to perform material about family, relationships, parenting, life, and more – and how they smile through it all. This fundraiser benefits the Cassidy Cascagne and Allen Morales family and their 3-year-old son Brayden. Brayden was born with a severe heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), which is a terminal condition. The family has unfortunately run out of medical options for their son, and they are now focusing on spending as much time as they can with him, making as many family memories as possible. This fundraiser will help provide resources so the family can make the most of their time with Brayden.

Hosts: Dan Romano (President of the Frank Frumento Foundation) and Fred Anastasio (Frank Frumento Foundation Board Member)

The Frank Frumento Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that strives to help those in need, aiding families with ill members in hopes of making their lives a bit better. For more information about the Frank Frumento Foundation, visit www.frankfrumentofoundation.org.

Donations will be collected in person on the evening of the event (cash, check, or Venmo). To donate in advance, you may Venmo the Foundation: @FFFoundation

Tickets are free, but reservations are required.

Frank Frumento Foundation

The Frank Frumento Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that strives to help those in need, aiding families with ill members in hopes of making their lives a bit better. The Frank Frumento Foundation was established in 2011 in honor of Frank Frumento. He was a great man. A son, a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a nephew ̶ and to all who knew him: A friend. He inspired everyone he met. Owner and developer of A&F Construction and Rainbow Development, Frank created houses that have become the homes of many people all over Connecticut throughout the years. The Frank Frumento Foundation works together with many different small businesses throughout Connecticut to raise money for different families in need. The Frank Frumento Foundation, with the help of different small businesses in the area, puts together different fundraising events each year, with the annual Frank Frumento Foundation charity softball tournament being its biggest event each summer. 100% of the proceeds from each event goes to support a different Connecticut family in need. For more information about the Frank Frumento Foundation, you can visit www.frankfrumentofoundation.org

Foundation Venmo is @FFFoundation

The Cassidy Cascagne and Allen Morales Family

Cassidy Cascagne and Allen Morales, originally from Branford, CT, now live in Milford with their three sons: Cameron (age 6), Brayden (age 3), and Jackson (age 3 months). Cassidy grew up in Branford, CT, attended Branford Public schools, and really loved the Branford community. Cassidy’s middle son Brayden was born with a severe heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, also known as HLHS. This is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. Brayden was born on August 16, 2019 and just three days later he underwent his first open heart surgery. This was a 10-hour surgery where Brayden was given a 20% chance of making it out of surgery. Brayden spent the first 84 days of his life in the hospital before he was able to go home. On February 24, 2020 Brayden had his second open heart surgery. During the past three years, Brayden has been in and out of the hospital. He has gone through many different procedures, including 12 heart catheterizations. There is no cure for HLHS; every medical intervention is known as palliative care because they are only prolonging life with each intervention. Each intervention is done in hopes to buy some more time so that they can find a donor for a heart transplant. In 2022 things started to take a turn for the worst. His heart functioning continued to go down, and other organs like his lungs and kidneys started to be affected. This past November, Brayden’s family got some very sad news. The team of doctors let the family know that due to all of the different health factors and how weak Brayden’s heart is, a transplant surgery is too risky. The family has run out of medical options for their sweet baby boy, and they are now going to focus on spending as much time as they can with him, making as many family memories as possible. Brayden really enjoys Disney, he loves Mickey Mouse, Toy Story and Lighting McQueen. Brayden’s older brother Cameron loves super heroes, Sonic, and playing outside at the park. Cassidy and Allen try to find time to do different activities as a family when Brayden is feeling well and not at the hospital.

Comedians

Katie Arroyo is a comedian and cohost of The Messy Show Podcast who has performed throughout New England and been featured in clubs in New York and Boston. With an aggressive-good natured act, her varied life experiences have given her the ability to connect with any audience. Audiences love Katie because her philosophy in life is to try it all, and fortunately for us, on stage is where she shares it all. 

Themes: Dating/relationships, having ADHD, life in general.

Andrew Ginsburg is a stand-up comedian, actor, and author of “Pumping Irony: How to Build Muscle, Lose Weight, and Have the Last Laugh.” He has appeared on Saturday Night Live and The View. Ginsburg has four comedy albums on iTunes and you’ve probably heard him on Sirius/XM’s Laugh Attack, Clear Channel’s 24/7Comedy Radio, and The Rockstar Dad Show. His work has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and USA Today. Andrew lives with his wife and three kids in Southport.

Themes: Focuses on the struggles of marriage, relationships, parenting, and staying in shape.  

Review:  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andrew-ginsburg_b_4996163

Darren Sechrist’s unique combination of dry wit and over-the-top absurdity have made him one of New England’s top comics. He has performed at Comix, the Funny Bone, Comic Strip Live, and other clubs across the Northeast. Darren has worked with some of the country’s most recognizable names, including: Demetri Martin, Joe List, Devon Walker, Alingon Mitra, and Sean Donnelly.

Themes: Family, technology, life, death, and the many bizarre ways we treat each other in between.

John Romanoff has been a staple of the CT comedy scene as a headlining comedian for over a decade. Since he became Grand Champion at the “Funniest Comic in New England” competition at Mohegan Sun, his comedy career has continued to flourish. He has made television appearances on “Gotham Comedy Live” for AXS-TV & locally on WTNH for their “CT Style” show. He competed in the “World Series of Comedy” competition in Las Vegas and has shared the stage with comedy legends like Gilbert Gottfried & Andrew Dice Clay. 

Audiences all over the Northeast enjoy John’s hilarious perspective on his life as a father, a husband, and big man in today’s world.