Jo Schuman Silver Announces Recipients of Scholarship of the Arts

SAN FRANCISCO- (June 2, 2015) Jo Schuman Silver, producer of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, announcedtoday the three Bay Area high school winners of the The Steve Silver Foundation & Beach Blanket Babylon "Scholarship for the Arts."

Out of nine finalists who performed in the live competition at Club Fugazi last night, Jessica Fry (Dance) from Menlo High School in Atherton, Gabriel Cowger (Acting) from Novato High School in Novato and Rachel Wirtz (Voice) from Berean Christian High School in Walnut Creek each walked away with $10,000 towards their college education.

The celebrity panel of judges included Val Caniparoli, actor Patrick Cassidy, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, composer Gordon Getty, San Francisco Opera's General DirectorDavid Gockley, SFJAZZ Center's Founder and Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline, California Shakespeare Theater's Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone, American Conservatory Theater's Artistic Director Carey Perloff, San Francisco Symphony Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, KRON4/KCBS Radio's Jan Wahl, and jazz and cabaret singer Paula West. Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Don Bleu from 103.7 "The Greatest Hits of All Time".

Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon has a long-standing commitment to philanthropic efforts in the community and has been involved with numerous charities and organizations including American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, the UCSF Cancer Center, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Child Abuse Prevention Society, AIDS Emergency Fund, among others.

For more information on the scholarship program visit www.beachblanketbabylon.com/scholarship

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.7% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.7% of votes

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