Showing Up Against Cancer
As diagnoses rise among younger age groups, artists try to help, represent struggles
Soon after Jill and I saw the pre-Broadway preview of “Mean Girls” in Washington, D.C., in 2017, I met one of the dancers in the hotel lobby and introduced myself as Ben’s dad, telling Stephanie Bissonnette that she reminded me of our youngest daughter, Emma.
As it turns out, Stephanie had graduated from Point Park University, the same college Emma was attending at the time. After working in New York and regionally as a dancer and choreographer, Stephanie was finally getting her big break in her late 20s, originating the role of Dawn Schweitzer in “Mean Girls.”
Every time I saw Stephanie at the stage door on our periodic visits to New York, she was quick to say hello and make small talk, always asking about Emma and the rest of our family. Rain or shine, she always said how much fun she was having doing the show, and it was obvious she was beloved by her castmates and her dance community.
Then, one evening in February 2019, Ben called us in shock. Obviously upset, he delivered horrible news: Stephanie had been diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. She was scheduled to immediately have surgery.
Several months later, after Ben had left “Mean Girls,” she returned to the show — a remarkable comeback story. But during the pandemic, when theaters were shut down, the cancer came back.
On Dec. 17, 2022, Stephanie died at the age of 32.
Frightening Facts
The rise in cancer diagnoses among younger people — especially women — has been very much in the news recently. Last week, Kate Middleton announced that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an unspecified form of cancer found when the 42-year-old Princess of Wales had abdominal surgery in January.
Actress Olivia Munn, 43, said this month that she has undergone four surgeries and a double mastectomy since being diagnosed with breast cancer last year. And country singer Morgan Wade, who is 29, also is recovering from a double mastectomy after discovering she had the RAD51D gene mutation, which put her at higher risk for developing cancer. Wade also has a history of breast cancer in her family.
This past weekend, Jill and I went to New York City to see Ben, Emma, Gaby, and Colby perform in separate shows, both of which touch on cancer among younger people. A character’s cancer diagnosis is a major plotline in “Illinoise,” which we saw on Friday before it concluded a sold-out pre-Broadway run at the Park Avenue Armory. On Saturday, we saw and I shot photos at “Only the Best,” a cancer benefit and dance narrative that Emma and Colby performed in at Arts on Site in the East Village.
The trip was planned long before the news about Middleton, Nunn, and Wade, as well as a series of new and disturbing reports on early-onset cancer. Early onset is defined as anyone under age 50.
Here is a brief summary of developments, taken from various media reports:
• While most cancer cases in the U.S. affect ages 65 and up, early onset cancer diagnoses worldwide have increased 79 percent since 1990, according to one study. From 2010 to 2019, cancer diagnoses increased almost 20 percent among people in their 30s, with rates among women much higher than men, largely due to uterine and breast cancer.
• Although cancer fatalities have fallen overall, more young people are dying from the disease. Nearly 1 million deaths were reported globally in 2019, an increase of 28 percent since 1990.
• The fatality rate from uterine cancer has also risen among women across all age groups, with diagnoses from those under 50 increasing dramactically. It is now the deadliest reproductive disease among women, according to the American Cancer Society, and many of the more aggressive endometrial cancers are seen in women who are black.
• While cervical cancer rates have long been on the decline, in part thanks to the human papillomavarius vaccine (HPV), they are now climbing among low-income women across the U.S., a study by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center states.
Doctors are not sure why these increases are occurring, but screening rates for all types of cancer fell sharply during the pandemic. According to Gallup, the number of Americans who are not getting health care treatments and testing due to cost has steadily risen since 2001.
A Benefit with Dance
In 2021, Katie Drablos was working in New York City as a teacher, dancer, and choreographer when she was diagnosed with a rare form of tongue cancer. She had tongue surgery, reconstruction, and a neck dissection along with chemotherapy and radiation.
For the past three years, the former Radio City Rockette has presented a series of short dance performances each spring as part of chronicling her journey. Colby has performed in each of the shows and brought Emma into the fold this year for “Only the Best.”
The show, which had four sold out performances over three days, focused on the journeys of Drablos and her mother, Kelly, since the initial diagnosis in 2021. Proceeds benefitted the HNC Living Foundation, a Kansas-based organization that helps head and neck cancer patients who face significant financial needs.
As the 75-minute show came to a close, Drablos danced in a number with Shayla Benoit, a fellow cancer survivor and videographer. They were joined by the rest of the cast for a joyful conclusion filled with hope.
It was wonderful to see Emma and Colby having such a great time and contributing to a good cause. Seeing these performers having such a good time doing what they love was heartening for a parent.
As Emma said afterward, “There are so many people who don’t get very many chances to dance and perform so I think we all cherish the opportunity and the community that it brings when we do get to share in the thing we love.”
Reflecting on the show and looking again at the program, I was struck by the back page, which had a portrait of Drablos and her mother as well as a dedication to seven “mothers and daughters lost to cancer too soon.”
Two were dancers — Ayla Rain Eilert and Stephanie Bissonnette.
‘Dad’ Notes
Four kids, four things on the “Dad” front:
• Kate, Matt, and Marley moved into a new place last week, getting some more room as the first grandchild (13 months tomorrow) becomes ever more active. Marley is a lovely little girl, fully of spunk and energy, genetically caffeinated like her parents. (Note: Grandparenting comes with a new set of rules, none of which involve muscle memory when you’re keeping a toddler.)
• Nick and Conner are enjoying their 2-month-old son, Colin, and also have moved into a new house. Nick, who is doing some great work as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, managed to get away to New York earlier this month, where he ran a half marathon and saw Ben and Gaby in their show with Emma. We’re seeing the new parents and the grandson in a couple of weeks. (Yay!)
• In addition to dancing and working, Emma also is appearing in two episodes of “Girls5Eva,” the Tina Fey created comedy that moved from Netflix to Peacock for its third season. She was the 'Gloria Dance Double' in episode 4 and a backup dancer in episode 6. Thanks to her former dance studio, Metropolitan School of the Arts, for this shoutout.
• And yes, you read that right: “Illinoise” is going to Broadway with Ben and Gaby in the cast. Straight from the Park Avenue Armory run, it opens without previews on April 24, the last day to qualify for the Tony Awards. The show, which will be at the St. James Theatre, will run for 16 weeks through early August.
Each of our children has "experienced" the cancer terror. Each has had very serious surgeries, and they hold their breath with subsequent tests and doctor visits. Doctors are very pleased with their current clear bill of health. Our son was 38, our daughter was 36 at diagnosis. Finding a reason would be nice, finding prevention and a cure would be literally life-changing.