INTRODUCING… HOLLYWOOD CLUB LA
AT THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood,
The Newly Re-branded Name for The Woman’s Club of Hollywood,
Presents
SINGER KATRINA AGUILAR IN CONCERT,
A Benefit Performance for Autism Care Today
With Host/Emcee, Stand-Up Comedian CHRISTOPHER TENNEY
And Opening Act, Singer GEORGE STEEVES
BRAD ELLIS, Music Director/Pianist
SHANNON PENROD, Autism Care Today Consultant
Directed and Produced By CLIFFORD BELL
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2024 AT 5:00 P.M.
Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood,
1749 North La Brea Avenue (between Hollywood Blvd. and Franklin Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Hollywood, CA – (February 6, 2024) – Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood, the newly re-branded name for The Woman’s Club of Hollywood will present SINGER KATRINA AGUILAR IN CONCERT, a benefit for Autism Care Today with Host/Emcee, Stand-Up Comedian Christopher Tenney and Opening Act, Singer George Steeves on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood, 1749 North La Brea Avenue (between Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue), Los Angeles, CA 90046. Here is a sample video clip of Katrina Aguilar performing: https://youtu.be/b3nJjVMAelo?
The show will be directed and produced by cabaret impresario Clifford Bell, with Brad Ellis (Glee) serving at Music Director/Pianist and Shannon Penrod serving as a Consultant for Autism Care Today. The two-hour show will be presented in the Ballroom at Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood. Tickets are $35 each for Premium Seating in the first five rows, and $25 each for General Seating. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Katrina Aguilar will perform her cabaret show,Part of Your World, a musical journey about her experiences living and evolving following a childhood diagnosis of being on the Autism Spectrum. Songs to be performed in the cabaret show will include: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella, “Feed The Birds” from Mary Poppins, “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, “He’s a Tramp” from The Lady and the Tramp, “God Help the Outcasts” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, “Monster” from Frozen, “Speechless” from Aladdin,”and more!
Clifford Bell, Director and Producer of the show from Cabarabia Productions said: “Katrina Aguilar is an inspiration for anyone who has faced challenges in their lives. Once Katrina discovered Disney songs, the music opened up a window into her soul and singing voice, which she couldn’t have imagined. This is the story she tells in her cabaret show.”
Katrina Aguilar, Singer said: “I was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum at the age of four and was nonverbal to the age of five, at which time I discovered the music of Disney heroines in films, which spoke to me. I wanted to give voice to the songs themselves that inspired me. In the process of doing so, I expanded my communication skills, and went on to study music as a singer, which has now become a daily part of my life, changing my world for the better. In this show, I will share my personal journey with you, the audience.”
About The Performers and Director
Katrina Aguilar (Singer) (of San Diego, CA) graduated from the Boston Conservatory in 2015 as a Vocal Performance Major, and in 2010 from Mira Costa College as a Music Major. Aguilar has been singing since the age of 12, beginning with a youth theater in Rancho Penasquitos and Escondido CA. She went on two European tours with Sound of America, a national high school honor band and choir, as a Soprano Soloist. Aguilar has also been involved with opera programs such as OperaWorks, with the renowned Ann Baltz. And she has performed in Vipeteno/Sterzing, Italy. Today, Aguilar sings at various Open Mics and Cabaret Shows in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. Credits include: Cabarabia: Clifford Bell and Friends at Rockwell Table and Stage in Hollywood, CA; a benefit for Autism Works at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s in Studio City, CA; Clifford Bell’s Our Name is Barbra at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA and performances at Martini’s Above Fourth and San Pasquel Winery, both in San Diego, CA. Katrina Aguilar is a member of Integrity Christian Fellowship Praise Team in Spring Valley, CA. She has sung for inmates at the Donovan State Prison, and for children in a pediatric hospital in San Pedro Sula Honduras. Learn more from www.katrinaaguilarmusic.com Facebook @KatrinaAguilarMusic
Clifford Bell (Director and Producer) (of Hollywood, CA) is known affectionately as “Lawrence of Cabarabia.” He is one of the leading directors and producers in the fields of cabaret, concerts, and one-person shows. Most recently Bell joined forces with Shannon Penrod and singer Dana Meller to establish Broadway For Autism, www.broadwayforautism.com, an organization dedicated to creating access and inclusivity in arts education for individuals on the Autism Spectrum, spanning the arts-related professions. Bell has worked with singer Katrina Aguilar on numerous occasions, bringing awareness to Autism organizations. Bell is a 40-year show business veteran. He has worked in venues large and small and written and directed variety performances featuring icons like Walter Cronkite, Colin Powell, and Michael Eisner at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, CA, and toured with television icon Katey Sagal and her band. With his frequent collaborator Lara Teeter (Tony Nominee, On Your Toes), Bell also co-created the successful touring show, Direct From Broadway, starring Tony Award winners Debbie Gravitte (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) and Michael Maguire (Les Misérables). Bell is particularly well known for his variety evenings and showcase presentations, often for charitable causes, including Our Name Is Barbra, www.ournameisbarbra.com, an annual celebration of Barbra Streisand’s birthday, which has been raising funds and awareness for Bell’s beloved charity, Project Angel Food, www.projectangelfood.com, for 26 years. The next Our Name Is Barbra show will be presented on Sunday, April 24, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA, www.catalinajazzclub.com. As a Cabaret Director he has helmed shows for singers Katrina Aguilar, Todd Murray, Lois Bourgon, Carol Whitener, Joanne Tatham, Bonnie Gilgallon, Lauren White, Quinn Johnson, Chase Masterson, Lee Lessack and Bobbie Norman. As a Cabaret Producer he has produced CD albums for singers, Betsyann Faiella, Eileen Barnett, and Judy Butterfield. He has directed one-person shows for Beth Lapides, Joan Hotchkis, Juliette Marshall, Deborah Pearl, and Paul Jacek. Born into a musical family, Bell’s father was a symphony conductor and his mother was a concert cellist. His brother, Bryan Bell, is an accomplished techno-wizard with over 30 years of working with the most respected names in the music business. Clifford Bell formerly served as Senior Vice President of Artists & Repertoire for the prestigious Broadway-oriented label, Fynsworth Alley. As a writer, Bell is a frequent contributor to the magazine, Cabaret Scenes. He is also featured in Marc Saltarelli’s critically acclaimed documentary film Studio One Forever alongside Chita Rivera, Bruce Vilanch, and Sam Harris. Learn more at www.cabarabia.com Facebook: @cabarabia
Brad Ellis (Music Director/Pianist) (of Toluca Lake, CA) is an American composer, musical director, orchestrator, and Jazz Pianist. Ellis is perhaps most visible as the quiet teacher/pianist for the high school kids on the television show, Glee, where he served as music mirector, arranger, pianist, and composer. Other television credits include: Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, The Middle, Rocky Horror (2016), and the 2009 Academy Awards, for which he co-created Hugh Jackman’s opening number. Brad Ellis’ film credits include: Chicago, Delovely, and Beauty and the Beast. He is Music Director for the Princess Cruise’s show The Secret Silk. Ellis has conducted and performed in over 6,000 performances of more than 400 different concerts, and orchestrates for major symphony orchestras in Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and London. He’s been the leader on 35 albums for RCA, DRG and Varese Sarabande record labels. He’s been profiled by CNN, NPR, People magazine, The Boston Globe and The New York Times. In 2011, Donate Life Hollywood honored Brad Ellis as “Person Of The Year” for his work in promoting organ transplant awareness. Brad Ellis is married to Jazz pixie, Eydie Alyson; they frequently perform together in concert. Facebook: @BradEllis X: @BradEllisPiano
Christopher Tenney (Host/Emcee, Stand-Up Comedian and Actor) (of Los Angeles, CA) has performed as an Opening Act for Ringo Starr and Toto and shared the stage with Norm MacDonald, Jeffrey Ross, Sarah Silverman, Bill Burr, and Joe Rogan at events in support of different Autism organizations. Tenney, who is also on the Autistic Spectrum, has appeared in national commercials for Oscar Mayer, Magic Jack, Hewlett-Packard, DirecTV, YouTube, and a Little Caesar’s commercial. He’s been featured on CBS Channel 2 News in Los Angeles, GoLo Network’s comedy series “Now We’re Talking,” and on A&E’s reality series, “Born This Way.”
George Steeves (Singer, Opening Act) (of Echo Park, CA) is also a film and television actor, and a member of SAG-AFTRA. Credits include guest starring roles on “NCIS: Los Angeles” as well as “Saving Paradise.” Steeves was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 11. After growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Steeves relocated to Southern California in the fall of 2008 to attend college at California Lutheran University. He received his B.A. degree in Communications, with a minor in Theatre Arts in 2012. As an Actor and Playwright, Steeves has written and performed in two one-man shows. His first one-man show, “Magic 8 Ball, My Life with Asperger’s,” won three awards after its premiere at the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival, and went on to be a “Pick of the Fringe” one year later at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. “Magic 8 Ball, My Life with Asperger’s” is an autobiographical one-man show that centers on George Steeves’ experiences growing up on the Autism Spectrum himself. His second one-man show “Love & Sex on the Spectrum” was nominated for two Fringe Awards at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival and went one to also receive four stars from Broadway Baby when it played at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Facebook: @GeorgeSteeves Instagram: @GeorgeFSteeves
About Cure Autism Today:
Autism Care Today (ACT) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to raise awareness and to provide treatment services and support to families to help their children with Autism achieve their full potential. Learn more at www.act-today.org Facebook: @ACTToday! Instagram: @AutismCareToday
About Hollywood Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood:
Club LA at The Woman’s Club of Hollywood is the re-branded name of The Woman’s Club of Hollywood, which is a National Hollywood Landmark established in the heart of Hollywood, CA in 1905. The legendary Spanish Revival building has a long historic heritage of Hollywood’s Golden Era. The Woman’s Club of Hollywood is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit philanthropic, charitable, civic, and social organization with an emphasis on preserving and celebrating the historic Club and property, which features free parking for 150 cars. To this day, the mission of the Club is to celebrate the amazing women who blazed the trail in the entertainment business more than 100 years ago.
The property is the site of the former Hollywood School for Girls (1908-1932) where Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joel McCrae, the daughters of Cecil B. DeMille, David Selznick, Louis B. Mayer and many other Golden Era legends attended. The property is where Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head was a teacher, and where actor Charles Laughton once taught Shakespeare.
Since 1905, the Woman’s Club members have worked together to serve and enhance the Hollywood community, a tradition which is carried on today. Celebrated Club members, attendees and guests have included Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Lucille Ball, Rhonda Fleming, Arlene Dahl, Anne Blyth, Tippi Hedren, Melanie Griffith, Doris Roberts, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, Tim Allen, and many more!
Some women’s clubs have had an image of simply wealthy ‘ladies who lunch.’ But the Hollywood Club is different, because the members are an eclectic group of working women (and men), some with time or budget constraints, who really want to make a difference in the local community and celebrate Hollywood’s illustrious history. Many work in various areas of the entertainment industry and use their expertise to mentor new members and to help the Club survive and thrive. The Club is run by volunteers. Author Rosemary Lord (“Los Angeles: Then and Now”) currently serves as President and Historian of the Club.
After a lengthy closure, the Club is open once more and The Woman’s Club of Hollywood members are again hosting their famous monthly luncheons, fundraising events, Afternoon Teas, Happy Hour and evening ‘Salons.’ The Club has free Coffee Mornings where ideas can be shared, networking done, and opportunities for some philanthropic projects are discussed, such as creating care packages for homeless veterans, helping autistic teenagers, and educating the local community about the Club’s fascinating history of Hollywood and the amazing women who helped build this global icon. The Club is also available too for just a fun game of cards, playing music and dancing. Members decide.
With younger members joining the Club, new ideas are coming to fruition, like the Young Hollywood Club, for those eight – 18-years-old, and a special Student Rate for 18 – 25-years-old. A variety of workshops are being offered, including Television Production, Memoir Writing, Mystery Writing, Yoga, Meditation, Hollywood History, Financial and Estate Planning, Computer and Photography Classes, Healthy Living, Cooking, and more.
The Club’s facility and parking lot are also available for film shoots, facility rentals and as a parking lot for film, television and photographic shoots, for conferences, lectures, concerts, and celebratory and business luncheons. The Club raises money with special fundraising events and through generous (tax-deductible) donations and sponsorships. Learn more at www.hollywoodclubla.org Facebook and Instagram: @Woman’sClubOfHollywood