[NEohioPAL] FREE EVENT: 'Songbird' tribute to help local women

[Laurel Held]

by April Helms 
Special Products Editor
Record Publishing


Area women will be 
the benefactors when five actresses, one from Hudson, take the stage 
Oct. 19 to present "Songbird: The Music of Eva Cassidy."

The 
event, which will be at Our Lady of the Elms High School Auditorium, 
will benefit The Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation. 
The five actresses include Hudson resident Laurel Held, Ayeshah Douglas, Michelle Moye, Isabella Tuma and Wendy Morgan.

"The costumer at 
Carousel Dinner Theatre introduced me to Eva Cassidy when I was working 
in the costume shop and I was so inspired by her voice and her story, I 
wanted to create something that honored her memory," said Held of the 
show. "She never experienced fame in her lifetime, only after her death 
in 1996 of cancer at the age of 33."

Held said she introduced the others to Cassidy, and added that they all "bring something different to this tribute."

The tribute was originally staged at Cain Park four years ago, Held said. 
This past spring, they were invited to stage their show at the Cleveland Public Theatre.

"Paul Hoffman was working with Cleveland Public 
Theatre to try out a cabaret room and he invited us to perform," Held 
said. "It was a sold out crowd that night and included members of the 
Women's Endowment Fund with their spouses. I work as their campaign 
assistant for their $2.013 million endowment campaign and they had 
graciously come out to support me and my group. Karen Lefton, co-chair 
of the endowment campaign, wanted to find ways of making the community 
more aware of the Women's Endowment Fund and what they do for women and 
girls in Summit County. She thought holding a benefit in the Akron area 
featuring our group as entertainment would be the perfect way to 
increase the public's awareness."

Lefton said the Women's 
Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation was nearly at 75 percent of its goal of raising $3.4 million in 2013, which will be the 20th 
anniversary of the fund.

"The Eva Cassidy concert is an 
opportunity to pause as we near the finish line and cheer the generous 
people who helped us get this far," Lefton said. "And it also gives us a chance to introduce WEF to so many in the community who are not aware 
of this fabulous resource. What could be more appropriate than 
showcasing five talented women performing such beautiful music for such a worthy cause -- benefiting women and girls in our community? The fact 
that it's being held at Our Lady of the Elms High School -- and Laurel 
is a graduate -- makes it even more fitting."

There will be a 
reception starting at 7 p.m, with the concert starting at 8 p.m. 
Admission is complimentary, with donations accepted.

Our Lady of the Elms is at 1375 W. Exchange St. in Akron. For details, call Held at 330-436-5612 or email lheld at akroncf.org.
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