On April 21, 2013 at Joe’s Pub, we celebrated our 5th year as out own non-profit and our 10th year of serving children in New York City! Arts For All Goes Public: Celebrating 5 Years, hosted by Aaron Lazar and Alex Gemignani, was a great success. PigPen Theatre Co. played a set from their album “Bremen,” and we had performances from Alex as well as Broadway’s Felicia Finley, PJ Griffith, Elizabeth Stanley, Coco Cohn, Jessica Vosk, and Zak Resnick.
What some of our supporters had to say:
Co-host Alex Gemignani. Photo by Bonnie Wireback.
“The Arts for All Benefit was an absolutely incredible night. From start to finish, I had so much fun as a volunteer and an audience member. I had never been to a cabaret before, and I was so impressed. Every performer was so talented and brought such a vibrant energy to the stage. The event was a true success and it was all for a great cause. It was truly exciting to be a part of it all!” – Nitisha
“I have been to quite a few Arts For All events in the last couple years. That being said, this year’s benefit, Arts For All Goes Public, blew me away. For the first time, unlike years past, I had almost no involvement in the planning and production process, so I did not know what to expect. For all I knew, it would be pretty much the same as our benefit last year. Of course I always have high expectations of the amazing programming Arts For All brings to our community, our students, and our donors, but nothing could have prepared me for the experience on April 21st. Like in the past, we had the amazing PigPen Theater Co. perform. No matter what kind of music you like, you are glued to this group from their first note, they are addicting! So as much as I loved PigPen’s performance, they didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was the venue – Joe’s Pub was so cool. (Yes, it’s a 5 cent word, but it really is cool!) It was the perfect venue for our benefit and set the mood for a successful and fun night. I think it was the first time we had a stage for the performers and table seating for the audience as opposed to being on risers. The second surprise were the Broadway performers. I was so impressed by the talent that we got to perform this year. The Broadway stars put this year’s benefit on a whole new level and definitely raised the bar for the future! The evening was intimate, but also not. There were so many people in attendance, so we didn’t get to mingle much, but I am sure that every person in the room felt a connection to the performers, to Anna and Alan, and to the teaching artists and volunteers who dedicate their time to this great cause.
As always, I am constantly more and more excited to be a part of Arts For All, Inc. and I cannot wait for Arts For All’s 2014 Benefit!!!!” – Jordana
“The annual benefit was such a blast to attend – and I am now a complete fan girl of all the wonderful performers I saw that night! Despite Aaron Lazar losing his voice, the talent on the Joe’s Pub stage was spectacular (and that stage in and of itself is such a prestigious place to be). Since each performer read a quote from an Arts For All workshop or event before they sang, I got to hear the voices of the children we were there to support as well as the incredible voices of the Broadway and off-Broadway stars.
In addition to the cabaret, the silent auction was a huge success. We had donations from all sorts of local businesses and local shows, from indie music groups to the JCC in Manhattan to Pippin on Broadway, to make a wide range of tantalizing items. The silent auction was a great reminder of all that NYC has to offer. I had never been to the Arts For All benefit before, but I know that I am excited to volunteer again next year!” – Olivia
