Anthony Anderson, D Smoke & More Join Festival Supporting Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

The LACHSA Foundation will present LACHSApalooza, a charitable arts and music festival and 40th anniversary celebration in support of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), taking place on May 30th at The Greek Theatre. In this one-night festival, the Foundation aims to raise $2.5 million in support of the school and its programs.

The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be comedian, producer, director, writer, and actor Anthony Anderson, who is also a member of LACHSA’s first class from 1985. Additional world-renowned alumni joining the lineup are multi-platinum-selling LA soul-pop band Fitz and The Tantrums. D Smoke, the Grammy-nominated music theory teacher, rapper, actor on Paramount+’s "Mayor of Kingstown," and classical pianist, will also be performing on the main stage during the one-night festival.

The evening will also honor three of LACHSA’s esteemed teachers, whose legacies have been inspiring, nurturing, and educating student artists at LACHSA for decades.

In remembrance, the widely recognized Ms. Pat Bass, aka Ms. B, a beloved mentor and cornerstone of the arts community, who led as the Director of LACHSA’s Gospel Choir. A consummate vocalist, educator, and performer, under Ms. B’s leadership, the LACHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble earned First Place honors at the Monterey Jazz Festival High School Competition in 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Her ensembles performed at the Hal David 90th Birthday Salute Teachers Rock, collaborated with Josh Groban, and appeared on American Idol during the 2013 season with three semifinalists. As a teacher, she changed the lives of many students including LACHSA alums recording artists Alex Isley, Gretchen Parlato, Lewis Frazier, and opera star Angel Blue.

Ms. Lois Hunter, recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for her excellence in Theatre Arts Education, has been a teacher at LACHSA for 33 years and will retire as the Theatre Department Chair this school year.

Under her direction, the LACHSA Theatre Department has received countless accolades, ranging from winning drama competitions to being selected by the American High School Theatre Festival to perform at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. The Theatre Department has also expanded, with a growing Career Technical Education program in Design and Production. 

Lastly, Los Angeles County awarded “Teacher of the Year” Jerry Freedman, a LACHSA Social Studies teacher who has remained a passionate and dedicated mentor to students since he began teaching at LACHSA in 1986. Mr. Freedman has served as Chair of the Social Studies Department for over 25 years and was named by the Board of Supervisors as “Most Inspirational Teacher.” 

About Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA)

LACHSA is a specialized public high school for the arts that has been fostering student artistry in Los Angeles County since 1985. The LACHSA Foundation is going all out to celebrate this forty-year legacy, with the goal to raise $2.5 million through LACHSApalooza to benefit its mission in advancing arts education programs at LACHSA that impact 550 student artists each year. 

Since its founding, LACHSA has produced world-renowned alumni including Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, Josefina López, Josh Groban, Anthony Anderson, Zoey Deutch, Ailey’s Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Happy's Place actress Belissa Escobedo, SNL's Taran Killam, award-winning opera singer Angel Joy Blue, and visual artists Robert Vargas, Tomashi Jackson, and Kehinde Wiley, among countless others.

LACHSA has been named the #1 Public High School for the Arts in the nation for 7 years in a row. The school offers something unique in the public school landscape: a conservatory-level arts training across five disciplines – Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Cinematic Arts, and Dance – alongside a college-prep academic education from ninth through twelfth grades.

Photos courtesy of LACHSA Foundation