Jo Schuman Silver, producer of Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, announced the three Bay Area high school winners of the The Steve Silver Foundation & Beach Blanket Babylon “Scholarship for the Arts” at last night’s finals.
Out of the nine finalists who performed in the live competition at Club Fugazi last night, Mari Kojima (Dance) from San Mateo High School in San Mateo – performing “Kitri Variation,” Sierra Stephens (Acting) from Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo – performing a monologue from Girl by Megan Mostyn-Brown, and Cate Hayman (Voice) from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley – performing “Hit Me with a High Note” from the musical Sophisticated Ladies, each walked away with $15,000 towards their college education.
The celebrity panel of judges included: choreographer Val Caniparoli, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, KGO Radio’s Brian Copeland, American political satirist Will Durst, composer Gordon Getty, San Francisco Opera’s General Director David Gockley, Magic Theatre’s Artistic Director Loretta Greco, SFJAZZ Center’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Chief of Civic Engagement Jonathan Moscone, KMEL Radio’s Lady Ray, KCBS AM & FM’s Jan Wahl and jazz and cabaret singer Paula West. Master of Ceremonies for the evening was radio legend, Don Bleu.
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 the UCSF Cancer Center, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Child Abuse Prevention Society, AIDS Emergency Fund, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, among others.
For more information on the scholarship program visit www.beachblanketbabylon.com/scholarship.
