On March 13, over two hundred supporters and friends of Bread & Roses gathered in Teatro ZinZanni's antique spiegeltent for an extraordinary evening of live entertainment featuring Huey Lewis as Billy Flynn from the Broadway hit "Chicago."
Longtime Bread & Roses supporter Michael Pritchard opened the show by sharing stories of his own voluneteer work with our isolated audiences and the transformative power of live art to heal wounded hearts.
In true Teatro ZinZanni style, the evening was packed with exciting performances, fabulous food and comedy. Emcee Christine Deaver, Teatro ZinZanni's first female "Chef", delighted the crowd with her audacious interactions with audience members, among them, former Bread & Roses board chairs David Stollmeyer and Mark Nelson.
Live music was provided by the amazingly accomplished Teatro ZinZanni House Orchestra and Bread & Roses volunteers, Big Lou's Polka Casserole.
Among the Teatro ZinZanni artists who lent their talent to our show were Les Petits Freres--a triple-threat ensemble of energetic acrobats from France who defy gravity and caution in a breathtaking, whirlwind demonstration of strength, balance and agility. Aerialist and comedienne, Sabine Rieck, of Germany also performed a heart-stopping act while hanging from the highest point of the tent.
Huey Lewis was joined by actress and singer Yamil Borges (playing Roxie Hart) and the Velocity Ensemble dancers to reprise favorite numbers form "Chicago"-- "Razzle Dazzle," "All I Care About" and "We Both Reached for the Gun." He sang, he danced, he taught us the history of the play's creation, and once again, he urged all those present to open their hearts and wallets to support the unique and invaluable work Bread & Roses has pioneered.
The 2007 Benefit was memorable on many levels. The show was dazzling and artistically inspiring. The crowd was joyous and exuberant in their support of our mission. And the proceeds of the evening's show and auction make it possible for us to heal hearts and lift spirits for thousands of children and adults in great need of hope and human connection.
Bread & Roses would like to offer special thanks to the following Sponsors:
- The Dennis and Susan Gilardi Fund of the Marin Community Foundation
- Marin Community Foundation
- Sony Computer Entertainment America
- House of Pennathur
- Susan and Matt Mackowski
- Laurie Angel McGuinness
- NelsonJobs.com
(photos)
Net proceeds from this and other events assist Bread & Roses in bringing more live performances to Bay Area residents who are isolated.
Bread & Roses is a non-profit organization.
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