MARCH 9 • 2023 | 51

Ithaca College with a voice 
major and theater minor while 
Bobo graduated with a degree 
in composition.
Since then, Bobo and Smith 
have performed with differ-
ent bands, and Bobo opened 
a recording studio where he 
has been very busy as a music 
producer. Smith and his broth-
er, Damon, a pianist, recently 
released a record under the 
name “The Brightmares,
” 
which is streaming on Spotify, 
Apple Music and iTunes.

COMING FULL CIRCLE
And then, during the pandem-
ic, Smith heard about an audi-
tion call for The Simon & Garfunkel Story.
“We both thought that it was a no-brain-
er for us to audition for the show. Jonah’s 
agent got us both an appointment, and we 
auditioned as a duo,
” said Smith who, along 
with Liam Fennecken and Jim Hogan of 
their group, T.3, made it to the quarterfi-
nals of Season 16 of America’s Got Talent 

in 2021. While Smith is currently on tour 
with The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Hogan 
is in Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway, and 
Fennecken is in a regional production of 
Rock of Ages. 
“My mother and her parents were raised 
Jewish in New York City. My grandparents 
had a deep love for Simon and Garfunkel 

because they were two main-
stream Jewish boys from 
Queens. They are thrilled to 
see me perform this music that 
they loved so much,
” Smith 
added.
Just 18 days before Bobo 
turned 26 on Jan. 24, he and 
Smith started on The Simon & 
Garfunkel Story tour.
“This whole thing is really 
serendipity,
” says Bobo, who 
has it written in his contract 
that he will not perform in 
shows during Passover so that 
he can be home in New York 
with his family. “It means a 
lot to us that what we’ve been 
doing for the past 10 years, 
we can now perform this tribute to Simon 
and Garfunkel on such a large scale to 
thousands of people across the country. It’s 
unbelievable.
” 

See Jonah Bobo and Brendan Jacob Smith perform-

ing as the singing duo at their school, The Fiorello H. 

LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts & Performing 

Arts, at https://youtu.be/d6_uY585-g4.

ABOVE: Brendan Jacob Smith, left, plays Art Garfunkel and Jonah Bobo, 
right, plays Paul Simon as they take the stage in The Simon & Garfunkel 
Story for two shows only.

Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.

 
 
 
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