Steve Silver's BEACH BLANKET BABYLON Announces Scholarship For The Arts Winners

Jo Schuman Silver, producer of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, announced last night the three Bay Area high school winners of The Steve Silver Foundation & Beach Blanket Babylon "Scholarship for the Arts." The event featured an opening performance from several past recipients of the "Scholarship" as well as the cast of Beach Blanket Babylon.

Out of nine finalists who performed in the live competition at Club Fugazi, Jessica Lester (Dance) from American High School in Fremont performing to "Hernando's Hideaway," Patrick Varner(Acting) from Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa performing a monologue from Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? and Nikola Printz (Voice) from Novato High School in Novato performing "My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy & Bess walked away with $10,000 each towards their college education.

A celebrity panel of judges, including Choreographer Val Caniparoli, San Francisco's Mr. Nightlife Harry Denton, KGO Radio's Jerry Friedman, Composer Gordon Getty, San Francisco Opera's Artistic Gregory Hankel, Composer Jake Heggie, Actress Rita Moreno, California Shakespeare Theater's Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone, American Conservatory Theater's Artistic Director Carey Perloff and KRON4/KCBS/Live105 Radio's Jan Wahl. Star 101.3's Don Bleu served as Master of Ceremonies.

In addition to the finalists' performances, Beach Blanket Babylon officially kicked off its 35th Anniversary. Beginning Wednesday, June 10, 2009, Beach Blanket Babylon will present 35 special performances featuring a new quintessential Beach Blanket Babylon musical number as well as a special video tribute to the show's creator, Steve Silver.

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 Theatre, 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.

Photo by Rick Markovich
For more information on this scholarship program visit www.beachblanketbabylon.com.