Bridgewater Broadway Star Performs To Help Somerset County Food Bank

BRIDGEWATER, NJ ? Bridgewater native Suri Marrero, a rising Broadway star, actress, singer, and dancer, performed at a fundraiser for The Food Bank Network of Somerset County on Thursday night.

The 2025 Fall Harvest Fundraiser held at the Bridgewater Manor supported local residents and families facing food insecurity.

Suri made her Broadway debut at just eight years old as the youngest Young Nala in The Lion King, and later stepped into the role of Young Elsa in Frozen at the St. James Theater.

She?s also appeared on screen in John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix), Sesame Street (HBO/PBS), and Helpsters (Apple TV+), and in numerous commercials and voiceover roles.

Suri, who is now 16 years old and a junior in high school at Gill St. Bernard?s School, said her parents discovered her passion for performing at a very young age.

"They put me in acting, singing, and dancing classes, where I grew closer to my love for the performing arts. Once I started auditioning, theater became a big interest of mine," said Suri.

"Then, when I booked the Lion King on Broadway, the experience was truly magical. I started to realize how much the performing arts meant to me. The ability to tell a story through facial expressions, notes on a scale, or contemporary movements made me feel more connected to a piece of art and the audience itself," said Suri. "Through the years of performing, I learned to appreciate the art of storytelling. Now more than ever, when I?m performing, I love having an impact on an audience. I want them to be taken on a journey with me through the performance."

Along with her passion for performing, Suri is also passionate about solving hunger.

Suri is a youth ambassador for Akshaya Patra, a non-profit organization that feeds meals to kids suffering from hunger. She heard about the Somerset Food Bank through Youth Leadership Somerset 2024-2025.

Specifically, Suri said she understands how hunger can impact a child's education.

"When a child is hungry, they are not able to perform their best at school. But when a child is nutritionally fed, they can excel in their studies, which can set them up for a better future," said Suri. "Knowing this positive domino effect, the food bank helps to stop the cycle of poverty. Overall, the food bank gives me an outlet to help my local community and give people a better tomorrow."

The Food Bank Network of Somerset County, a 501(c)3 nonprofit food bank at 7E Easy St. in Bridgewater, saw a 166 percent increase in demand from 2021 to 2024.

To put it in perspective, in 2021, the food bank had 12,000 client visits. In 2023, that number jumped to 27,000 client visits. In 2024, the food bank saw more than 32,000 visits.

That is an average of about 1,800 to 1,900 households per month, or about 8,000 to 9,000 people, since the food bank allows two visits a month, according to Steve Katz, Executive Director of The Food Bank Network of Somerset County.

For more information on Suri, visit www.surimarrero.com or instagram.com/surimarrero.

For more information on the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, to volunteer, or to donate, visit somersetfoodbank.org or follow instagram.com/somersetfoodbank or facebook.com/FBNSC1982.

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