“Charlie Pollock & Friends,” a family-friendly evening of rock holiday music featuring local performers who are stars of stage and screen, raised nearly $10,000 for the Achieve Foundation’s Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative, which helps repair and supply instruments and provides scholarships and private music instruction for in-need students in the South Orange – Maplewood School District.
Held at Columbia High School on December 14, the event featured Charlie Pollock (currently appearing in David Bowie’s new musical Lazarus at New York Theater Workshop), two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz (Wicked, Bloodline on Netflix), Kevin Kern (Wicked, Finding Neverland), David Josefsberg (Honeymoon in Vegas), Krystina Alabado (Lazarus, American Idiot), Krista Pioppi (Lazarus, Spring Awakening), Brynn Williams (Lazarus, Bye Bye Birdie), his world-class band of players and many more.
“Donations are still coming in,” said Vanessa Pollock. “We had close to 400 people in attendance. The hit songs of the night were ‘Christmas Loving Jew’ written and sung by David Josefsberg, ‘O Holy Night’ sung by Norbert Leo Butz and ‘Winter Song’ sung by Krista Pioppi and Krystina Alabado.”
A short film made by Columbia High School staff about the initiative’s recent awards ceremony opened the evening (https://youtu.be/eganJEKF-zI) and Vanessa Pollock and Achieve’s Deborah Prinz made remarks
The concert was free with a suggested donation of $20. To donate now, visit this link and indicate your donation is for the “VP Music Initiative.”
The Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative is in partnership with the Achieve Foundation of South Orange and Maplewood, which is an independent, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that raises funds to promote exemplary public education for all students and educators in the community.
