Holiday Benefit Party on Sunday 12/2
for Advisor Peri Shaw, 2-4 PM. Music and Comedy.
I Can Still Do That Foundation Announces December 2nd Benefit Concert & Variety Show at The Actors’ Temple
A Benefit Concert for Actress/Voice Over Personality/Fashionista Peri Shaw
NEW YORK, New York – (November 24, 2018) – The I Can Still Do That Foundation, aka https://florencebelskyfoundation.org/ a New York City-based non-profit, today announced a special Benefit Concert and Variety Show benefitting Actress/Voice Over Personality/Fashionista Peri Shaw on Sunday, December 2nd from 2-4 PM (“The Alta Kocka Matinee”) at The Actors’ Temple, 339 West 47th Street. Foundation advisor Keni Fine, a good friend and colleague of Peri’s will serve as the Musical Director of the evening, who will be joined by talented performers from the NYC artist community, plus young advisors of the Foundation from as far away as Brooklyn. The suggested donation is $10 per person; VIP tickets are $50 and can be purchased at:
https://benefitforperi.splashthat.com/
VIP attendees are invited to join a post-show VIP after-party with the cast and crew featuring local wines and Jewish ‘Soul Food’. The Benefit evening will include a Silent Auction and will be live streamed on the foundation’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/icsdt.music/
Proceeds from the event will help fund Peri’s ongoing living and medical expenses for health issues resulting from toxic mold exposure due to flooding of her long-term, rent-stabilized apartment in Gramercy Park, The damages to her residence and to her health have left Peri homeless and unable to work so she is currently suing her Landlord in the Supreme Court of New York.
The Benefit Concert & Variety Show is being co-produced by Dan Schneider of The Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation (www.flobel.org) a/k/a The I Can Still Do That Foundation. The Foundation’s mission emphasizes connecting people, sharing Ideas, empowering each generation to teach the others.
“We need to help Peri get back on her feet during her time of need,” said Dan Schneider. “She has lived in NYC her entire adult life and refuses to be bullied by ageism, gentrification and Landlord harassment. Peri has helped so many of our advisors, both younger and older; and has helped us produce benefits at the historic Actors’ Temple, a/k/a ‘The Cool Shul’. It is our turn to help her.”
“In raising awareness and support for Peri, we in turn elevate ourselves, and in that, only good things will come,” commented Dr. Yahvey Hoffman.
About Peri Shaw:
Peri Shaw is the former owner of Zelda, a design house specializing in vintage inspired women’s wear and accessories. Zelda’s clients included Julia Roberts, Holly Hunter, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, among many others. In addition, Zelda apparel has appeared in such TV shows as Seinfeld and Friends, and in major motion pictures including First Wives’ Club and Evita. Peri has also worked as an independent contractor as PR and Events Associate and most recently spent three years as an Adjunct Professor and Advisor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has a background as a voice over artist and is especially interested in lending her voice to inspirational, spiritual projects i.e. documentaries, storytelling etc.
Cast and Crew:
Keni Fine: “Master Maven” Musical Director:
KENI FINE is a Broadway/Off Broadway Producer, Playwright, Lyricist, Composer, Librettist, Attorney, Actor, Singer/Songwriter, Photographer, Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Transformational Workshop Leader, Spiritual Comedian & Awesome Dad. All before breakfast.
Lover of Life & Light. Amazing Current Projects include: TRUTH The Musical - A Truly American Musical Inspired by the Life & Narrative of Sojourner Truth #AintIAWoman
ENDANGERED! The Musical - A SuperStormy Eco Musical for Our Climate Changing Times! Six month run Off Broadway, 2017. “Altar” Egos include the inimitable Swami Pajamananda & Goldie Goldsteen!
Musical Performers:
HANNAH REINMANN: Born in New York City to German and Korean parents, Musician and Filmmaker HANNAH REIMANN sang publicly at 2 years old, studied Classical piano since childhood, received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and began her career as a concert pianist (Lincoln Center, Grand Canyon Music Festival) and performed Astor Piazzolla’s music with violist Paul Coletti internationally. She created music videos (The Bottom of the Sea (1998), I Have a Dream (2008), short films, Destroying Angel (2012) and My Father’s House, studied with Austin Pendleton at HB Studio, was Musical Director of Arthur Miller’s American Clock with Pendleton directing and acted in 20 independent films. Her CD, First Songs introduced her "extraordinary voice" (XM Radio) with radio airplay for over 15 years. “A determined and uncanny performer” of the music of Joni Mitchell (New Yorker Magazine), she synthesized her roles as multi-instrumentalist performer, teacher, and filmmaker over two decades. www.hannahreimann.com
NATALIE SMITH: Natalie is an actress, singer-songwriter, and playwright. Natalie earned her BFA in acting from the Guildhall school of Music and Drama in London, and has studied voice, classical piano, and songwriting since she was a child. She made her broadway debut in the critically acclaimed, Tony award winning production, One Man Two Guvnors. Natalie released her debut album, 'Take My Piano', in October, 2015. A lifelong New Yorker, she draws on the energy of the city to inform her work and performs regularly. She was the musical director and composer for the Drilling Company’s productions of The Tempest and As You Like it, performed at Bryant Park. Natalie recently appeared as a recurring character with a 6 episode arc on Netflix’s Iron Fist. She will be releasing her second album in January of 2019 compiled of 10 songs written by her using the words of William Shakespeare. Natalie was a recipient of a composer’s residency at the Millay Colony in the October 2017 to work on her original musical; a fairytale staged performance with an accompanying album that will be released. She has since been working with a director to mount a workshop of the musical set for December 2018. Sign up at Nataliesmithsings.com for album and concert updates.
TONY TRAVIS: Pop musician, composer & singer, Tony performs regularly in NYC with his band
Tony Travis & Friends. His new CD is titled MY SONGS VoL.3….. Tony also produces Music Videos and theatrical stage events. He recently produced the Off-Broadway revival of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, starring George Hearn; and the film “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”, starring Mila Kunis & Adrian Grenier. He wrote and directed the hit Revue, Roxettes, at LA’s Roxy Theatre. Veteran actor and a familiar face and voice in hundreds of TV and Radio Commercials, he was a founding member of the popular LA Improv Group, The Lunatics; and also won wide acclaim playing the Referee in LA’s long-running rock musical, Tarzana Tanzi
BILL BLOCK: Bill is a singer/songwriter who has been making soulful rock n roll music all his life. He fronted the powerhouse funk/soul/rock band ‘Big Bang’ from 1984 to 1992 and was tapped for a role in the Bob Dylan film ‘Hearts Of Fire’ where he got to play with Dylan on and off camera. That experience inspired him to branch out artistically. He went on to add acting and filmmaking to his repertoire. His 2008 short film ‘The Drummer’ won highest honors at film festivals around the world (Nantucket, Garden State, Worldfest, Red Rocks, Rhode Island International, Macon and Stony Brook to name a few). It is now shown regularly at prestigious schools such as Berkley School of Music. Last year, Bill released his highly acclaimed solo album ‘No Standing’. His much anticipated, newest single ‘Faces In The Crowd’ comes out next month!
Jesters:
Master of Ceremonies (for Comedy Hour)
GLENN COHEN: Glenn Cohen is an actor, known for Optimism (2003), A Brooklyn State of Mind(1998) and Ransom (1996). Glenn has appeared in hundreds of major motion pictures and television shows. He first appeared on screen in Dirty Tricks(1981), soon thereafter he was featured in Whose Life Is It Anyway?(1981), both shot in Boston. Since then he has remained a member in good standing of both SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association. A member of the National Honor Society, Glenn earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He performed his first set of Stand-Up Comedy in 1978 at Boston’s Comedy Connection at the Charles Playhouse. Glenn also taught Improvisational Theatre in the Boston Public School System.
ANDREW BAYROFF: I began stand up in Houston, TX, taking a class at a place called The Comedy Gym. After moving and performing for nearly 6 years in LA, including The Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, and The Ice House, as well as three years of classes at The Groundlings, I returned to my roots in New York City. Since returning to NYC, I've performed at Stand Up NY, Broadway Comedy Club, and New York Comedy Club, as well as a variety of shows around NYC. Adding to my comedy resume, I created Free StandUp NYC, a site that promotes free shows, articles, and other resources in NYC, as well as being co-producer of The Free Standup Festival, started in 2014, which showcases 20+ free shows throughout NYC, the US and across the pond. I also currently co-produce "The In/Between Comedy Show" at Mile 17, and Project Laughs, a comedy show for Project Renewal Men's Homeless Shelters. For more info:https://www.andrewstandingup.com/
MICHELLE SLONIM: Two days after Michelle Slonim gave birth to a baby girl, Michelle received an email saying she was cast in a sketch for Late Night With Seth Meyers. Michelle had gone on tons of auditions: once in a chicken costume, another time in a bikini while eight months pregnant, and she never got the part. Now a week after her baby was welcomed into the world, Michelle’s in hair, makeup and wardrobe, on set for a major network television show. She plans to have a second child so she can make an appearance on Conan. Michelle has appeared on web-shows for Comedy Central and HBO and on SiriusXM Radio. You can see her performing stand up comedy in most clubs and bar shows in New York City. Michelle trained at the University of Michigan and the Williamstown Theater Festival, as an apprentice to Lewis Black. She is a seasoned producer having worked on 24 Hour Celebrity Plays on Broadway and produced shows at Webster Hall and Le Poisson Rouge. Special guest performers on her shows have included Dave Attell and Greer Barnes from the Chapelle Show. Though happily married now, for her Anti Valentine’s Day Comedy Show, she was prominently featured in The Wall Street Journal, although as her mother pointed out, it was only on page two in the print edition. Michelle’s side hustle is putting on comedy shows in people’s living rooms – check out DrawingRoomEntertainment.com. Michelle is a member of the Friars Club. For more info: https://michelleslonim.net/
Surprise guests and speakers : TBA
Contact:
Dan Schneider, [email protected] or 845.616-6909
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