More About A Musical Melting Pot
On Nov. 14, 2026, from 7 to 10 p.m., the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, at 295 West Avenue, will present “A Musical Melting Pot.” This concert commemorates America’s 250th anniversary and will be hosted by Broadway stars Raissa Katona Bennett and Arbender Robinson. To purchase tickets please visit: Click for Details
Raissa Katona Bennett and Arbender Robinson’s dynamic, feel-good night will pay tribute to the American dream and the legacy left for future generations. The show will focus on the creation of the Great American Songbook from 1776 to the present day, highlighting contributions by the immigrants who became Americans, American born composers, as well as songs from “across the pond,” that have become deeply embedded in the fabric of American standards.
From timeless classics to pop and Broadway favorites, this eclectic evening will feature powerhouse vocals and unforgettable storytelling, with musical direction by Mark Janas.
On Broadway, Raissa appeared as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, as well as in Chess. Her touring credits include the First National Tours of Cats and Parade. A multiple award-winning concert and cabaret artist, she has headlined at Feinstein’s, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Metropolitan Room, and Iridium. She has also guest-starred at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and with various symphony orchestras throughout the East Coast. Raissa has three critically acclaimed CDs available on iTunes and Amazon, and her television appearances include Law & Order: SVU and Unsolved Mysteries.
Arbender Robinson’s professional career includes 17 consecutive years performing on Broadway in 11 shows including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Disney's The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, The Book of Mormon and Les Misérables where he was the first African American ever to play Marius on Broadway. Arbender starred in the 2016 Broadway hit musical Shuffle Along alongside many Broadway Legends, including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter.
They will be appearing together at this year’s legendary Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center, where they will be sharing a piece of this show.
LMMM’s 2026 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, Inc., and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc., LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: Dr. Michele & Attorney Miklos Koleszar and The Sealark Foundation, Inc., and LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown.
Raissa Katona Bennett and Arbender Robinson’s dynamic, feel-good night will pay tribute to the American dream and the legacy left for future generations. The show will focus on the creation of the Great American Songbook from 1776 to the present day, highlighting contributions by the immigrants who became Americans, American born composers, as well as songs from “across the pond,” that have become deeply embedded in the fabric of American standards.
From timeless classics to pop and Broadway favorites, this eclectic evening will feature powerhouse vocals and unforgettable storytelling, with musical direction by Mark Janas.
On Broadway, Raissa appeared as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, as well as in Chess. Her touring credits include the First National Tours of Cats and Parade. A multiple award-winning concert and cabaret artist, she has headlined at Feinstein’s, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Metropolitan Room, and Iridium. She has also guest-starred at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and with various symphony orchestras throughout the East Coast. Raissa has three critically acclaimed CDs available on iTunes and Amazon, and her television appearances include Law & Order: SVU and Unsolved Mysteries.
Arbender Robinson’s professional career includes 17 consecutive years performing on Broadway in 11 shows including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Disney's The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, The Book of Mormon and Les Misérables where he was the first African American ever to play Marius on Broadway. Arbender starred in the 2016 Broadway hit musical Shuffle Along alongside many Broadway Legends, including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter.
They will be appearing together at this year’s legendary Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center, where they will be sharing a piece of this show.
LMMM’s 2026 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, Inc., and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc., LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: Dr. Michele & Attorney Miklos Koleszar and The Sealark Foundation, Inc., and LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown.
Date & Time
November 14, 2026
7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location
Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum
295 West Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06850
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More About Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses in the United States. Built by renowned financier and railroad tycoon LeGrand Lockwood from 1864-1868, the Mansion, with its unparalleled architecture and interiors, illustrates magnificently the beauty and splendor of the Victorian Era.
Lockwood’s financial reversal in 1869, and his untimely death in 1872, resulted in the loss of the estate then known as “Elm Park,” through foreclosure, in 1874. In 1876, the property was sold to Charles D. Mathews and his wife Rebecca. Mathews, a prominent importer from New York, and his family, resided in the Mansion until 1938. In 1941, the estate was sold to the City of Norwalk and designated a public park.
The Mansion was a technological marvel of its time: it had indoor hot and cold plumbing, gas lighting, ventilation, and a central heating system that burned a ton of coal a day. Indeed, there is no comparable mansion museum in our state. Built during the Civil War and still inhabited during the Great Depression, there is no institution in Connecticut that is better able to bring to life these significant events in American history.
When the building was threatened with demolition in the 1960s, concerned citizens galvanized to save the Mansion in one the most important and hard-fought preservation battles in Connecticut’s history. These local preservationists succeeded in saving the Mansion in 1965, and later formed the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum of Norwalk, Inc., a 501(c)(3), which was designated a National Historic Landmark, in 1971.
Lockwood’s financial reversal in 1869, and his untimely death in 1872, resulted in the loss of the estate then known as “Elm Park,” through foreclosure, in 1874. In 1876, the property was sold to Charles D. Mathews and his wife Rebecca. Mathews, a prominent importer from New York, and his family, resided in the Mansion until 1938. In 1941, the estate was sold to the City of Norwalk and designated a public park.
The Mansion was a technological marvel of its time: it had indoor hot and cold plumbing, gas lighting, ventilation, and a central heating system that burned a ton of coal a day. Indeed, there is no comparable mansion museum in our state. Built during the Civil War and still inhabited during the Great Depression, there is no institution in Connecticut that is better able to bring to life these significant events in American history.
When the building was threatened with demolition in the 1960s, concerned citizens galvanized to save the Mansion in one the most important and hard-fought preservation battles in Connecticut’s history. These local preservationists succeeded in saving the Mansion in 1965, and later formed the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum of Norwalk, Inc., a 501(c)(3), which was designated a National Historic Landmark, in 1971.
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