Former Goldman Sachs Partner Trades Finance for Footlights, Raises Funds for Alzheimer's Research
Stacy Polley, who spent 25 years at Goldman Sachs, is now using her Broadway cabaret shows to support research for a disease that impacted her family.
After a quarter-century career on Wall Street, former Goldman Sachs partner Stacy Polley has transitioned from finance to the performing arts, gracing the Broadway stage with her personal cabaret shows. Her latest performance is set to take place at Sony Hall and will serve as a fundraiser for Alzheimer's research, a cause deeply personal to Polley following the recent death of her father.
Polley's show, titled "I Can't Stand Still," combines song, dance, and humor to explore themes of accomplishment, contentment, and the pursuit of the next goal. The performance is dedicated to her father, a musician who previously accompanied her in one of her cabarets, and to caregivers like her mother, who cared for him during his illness.
The show features a diverse musical repertoire, including contemporary Broadway hits from shows like "Hamilton" and "Footloose," alongside classic pop and rock songs such as Meat Loaf's "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" and Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance." It also includes a Billy Joel mashup and an original composition, all connected by Polley's personal narratives. She will be performing with a 13-piece band and four backup singers.
"The program is about 'learning how to stand still and be content' through the prism of a wellness retreat," Polley explained. She noted that the show addresses "what happens when life challenges us to rethink what purpose, success and fulfillment look like."
Polley's passion for performing dates back to her childhood, influenced by her musician father. Despite aspiring to be on stage, her career path led her to finance. After 25 years at Goldman Sachs, she began her cabaret journey in 2008 to celebrate her 40th birthday. Over the years, her shows have tackled personal topics, including divorce.
She described her artistic vision as weaving "humor, entertainment and a relatable message embedded within the arc of the story." Each show requires approximately nine months of development, starting with the core message she wants the audience to take away.
Polley's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016. That year, he performed with her on piano during one of her shows, a moment Polley cherishes as one of their last shared performances before his condition advanced. Growing up in Queens as the daughter of two New York City public school teachers, Polley aims to both entertain and educate her audiences about Alzheimer's disease, noting that many people still lack comprehensive knowledge about the condition.
Notable figures from the financial world, including former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and The Carlyle Group's Harvey Schwartz, have attended her performances. This year's show will benefit the Fork It Fund, co-founded by Polley with Daryl and Irwin Simon, which has donated over $4 million to Alzheimer's research through the Alzheimer's Association. Polley emphasized that this year's performance is particularly meaningful given her father's passing and aims to highlight the role of caregivers.
"The shows are filled with humor and entertainment, yet I’ve learned that audiences connect most with the vulnerability – the moments when I share something from my own life that they may be feeling, too," Polley said. "I hope people leave entertained, but also reflecting on their own lives."