Anonymous
By the Adderley School Foundation
The Adderley School and The Adderley School Foundation hosted a banner anniversary this year and presented “The Adderley School: Celebrating 30 years,” a fundraising event supporting The Adderley School Foundation.
Shining a light on one of America’s most prominent and beloved children’s musical theater programs, the event took place on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre.
Appearances by celebrity alumni and friends of Adderley included Master of Ceremonies James Corden (Tony, BAFTA, and Emmy Award-winning entertainment legend known for his work as an actor, host, writer, producer, and karaoke singer extraordinaire) and Kenny Loggins (GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and producer) who will be reuniting with Adderley students in a special encore performance of “Footloose.”
Janet, her mother Deborah Martin Chase, and family (Photo: Alfonso Hollingsworth of Gold Note Music, Inc)
The event also includes Honorary Hosts Debra Martin Chase (Tony Award-winning, Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning film, television, and Broadway producer), Jack Dylan Grazer (Adderley alum and teen star of “Shazam!” and “It”) and Ben Platt (Adderley alum and Tony, GRAMMY, and Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actor, singer and songwriter).
“The next 30 years brings MORE LOVE, MORE JOY, and MORE IMPACT to MORE CHILDREN!” said Janet Adderley, Founder. “The birth of this foundation is a 20-year long wish fulfilled, and I am so grateful to all of the people who have helped along the way. I look forward to watching it grow and flourish long beyond my tenure.”
“I know if I’d have had a teacher like Janet, I would have been in awe of her,” said James Corden, parent of an Adderley student and host of The Late Late Show with James Corden. “She fills them with confidence. We are very, very grateful that we found her drama school, and I think she deserves all the praise in the world.”
After 30 years of empowering kids and spreading joy, three decades of Adderley School alumni will unite onstage alongside luminaries from film and stage to usher in the next 30 years of the program. The evening’s glorious musical revue included special moments from “Cabaret,” “Pippin,” “Chicago,” “Into the Woods,” “West Side Story,” and other beloved Adderley Conservatory shows, culminating in a “Big Finish!” performance, which featured Adderley alumni from far and wide reuniting on stage alongside current students from all five school locations and industry luminaries who have supported and inspired them for one magnificent moment of celebration and joy.
Kenny Loggins joined with Adderley students in a special encore performance of “Footloose.” Kenny’s 2019 concert collaboration with the Adderley Conservatory raised over $80,000 for the Unity Shoppe, a Santa Barbara nonprofit that provides goods and services to under-resourced families and the elderly throughout Ventura County.
Host James Corden (Photo: Alfonso Hollingsworth of Gold Note Music, Inc)
“When I was six years old, I was the prince in ‘Cinderella’ in a blue sequin vest at THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL in the Palisades in California,” said Ben Platt in his acceptance speech for the Tony for Leading Actor in a Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN. “And I have spent every single day of my life since then just madly in love with musical theater. It’s where I found everything I ever loved and where I belong, and I’ve dreamed every day since being on this stage and being part of this community of artists.”
“I started acting at The Adderley School with Janet and Alana when I was about seven years old, and from the moment my feet hit that stage I was hooked!” said Jack Dylan Grazer. “The skills and life lessons that Adderley taught me have changed my life. Adderley is dedicated to helping students like me come alive through dedication, team building, hard work, and having fun! I want to share the magic that I discovered at The Adderley School with others, and so I’ve decided to pay it forward with the creation of a scholarship fund. If I can do it, some spastic little kid who just wanted to make people laugh, you can do it. With the help of amazing teachers anything is possible, and I wanna help make other kids’ dreams come true. I wanna help kids who need a shot in life to pursue their calling and do what they love.”
“These are the best days of my life … to revel in the accomplishments of my students – past and present – to watch them step up one by one in support of each other,” said Janet Adderley, ADDERLEY SCHOOL Founder. “There are no words to express my joy and satisfaction. I am so grateful to Ben and to Jack for their selfless example and stewardship, and to James Corden and Debra Martin Chase for also being pivotal to our milestone anniversary evening.”
The celebration provided a glimpse into the transformative power of early musical theater education and benefits the new Adderley School Foundation, the 501(c)(3) organization carrying the School’s legacy forward for the next 30 years. The Adderley School Foundation helps children discover and develop their unique talents so that they may realize their potential onstage and in life. Its unique approach to musical theater training and performance ensures every student benefits from one-on-one mentorship and has their own personal moment to shine. The Foundation believes all children should have access to this life-changing, confidence-expanding opportunity and is committed to bringing the proven Adderley Method to as many students as possible regardless of their ability to pay.
Event tickets range from $25 for students to $1000 VIP levels which include a donation to the foundation, preferred seating and name in the program. All VIP ticket holders will be invited to a pre-show reception with event hosts and celebrity attendees. Ticket proceeds support scholarships to ADDERLEY programs, bring free or reduced-cost classes to under-resourced communities, give students the opportunity to perform in an end-of-season production and expand the school’s signature ”Teachers Who Look Like Me” Model of Mentorship Program committed to training underrepresented dancers, vocalists, and actors in the Adderley Method and placing them in classrooms to inspire the next generation of underrepresented artists! With five Adderley school locations in California, Texas, Connecticut and Louisiana, the school continues to grow nationally.
Janet Adderley created THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL in 1993 in an attempt to teach her shy, young daughter how to be heard.
“If I were a color, I’d be fire engine red,” said Adderley. “If my daughter were a color, she’d be lavender. I created THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL to help my lavender girl find her red voice. The training students receive at ADDERLEY fortifies them for life – building confidence, strengthening problem-solving skills, instilling the importance of teamwork, accountability to something greater than oneself and respect for others, not to mention an amazing experience in theater. THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL promotes literacy and a passion for the power of the written word.”
For more info on the The Adderley School Foundation see here.
About The Adderley School Foundation:
The Adderley School Foundation (TASF) was founded to expand access to the demonstrably successful strategies of the 30-year-old ADDERLEY SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, a children’s musical theater enrichment program offering primarily after-school programming. The ADDERLEY Method of musical theater training enriches, inspires, and transforms children’s lives. We believe all children deserve the rich benefits provided by high-quality performing arts education and recognize that children poised to make the greatest gains are those who most often have the most limited access. TASF seeks to reverse this trend in the communities we serve, helping children — regardless of personal resources — discover and develop their unique talents so that they may realize their potential onstage and in life.
