Benefit for Lawrence Anthony

Saturday May 17th - 7:30 pm Ironworks 235 Alexander Street (just east of Main) If you've ever peeked behind the scenes at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival (or Coastal's year-round concerts), the Writer's Festival, or Early Music Vancouver concerts, you may have met Lawrence Anthony. At events by these (or any one of another half-dozen) lower mainland art organizations, Lawrence is the guy who makes shows happen. Whether it's working through stage plots or contract riders to figure out technical requirements, scoring a Hammond B-3 for an out of town organ player, setting up lights or microphones or just plain lugging gear, Lawrence is one of those "the buck stops here" guys whose main job is to make things run so smoothly that nobody notices. Lawrence has been working with Coastal Jazz & Blues for over 18 years and I can only dimly remember the organization before he was working there. When I first met him, way back when, he still had a day job as an educational publisher's book rep and he used to drop by and visit when I taught at Langara College. He liked the freedom of that kind of schedule because in the 'off-season' he could go off on exotic trips like cycling through India. Eventually he decided that his heart wasn't in pushing textbooks and he gave it up for the less lucrative but more soul-satisfying work of staging contracts for arts organizations including his position as production manager for the Jazz Festival. On the morning of April 18th, Lawrence was at Festival House on Granville Island for Jazz Fest prep work when he became disoriented and collapsed. After being rushed to the hospital, it became clear that he had suffered some kind of aneurism or stroke. He required surgery and couldn't move his right side. Although Lawrence's prognosis has (fortunately) improved and he's made much progress since those early days, the road to recovery promises to be long, arduous and expensive. In response, Lawrence's friends and colleagues have banded together to help out in a number of ways. Coastal Jazz & Blues has set up and is administering the Lawrence Anthony Fund with a link on their website for donations (http://www.coastaljazz.ca/index.cfm?page_id=10081). This Saturday May 17th from 7:30 pm to 1 am at Ironworks, there's the Lawrence Anthony Fundraiser with all kinds of things going on. Steven Hill from the Leaky Heaven Circus will be the Master of Ceremonies with performances by Dustcover Peggy Lee, Torsten Muller, Dylan Van Der Schyff Brainchild Pepe Danza DJ Bliss DJ Denise Galay and others! There will also be a silent auction with items donated by arts organizations, friends and supporters including: Pink Martini tickets at the Jazz Festival Stevie Wonder tickets from Live Nation CDs from Festival Distribution DVDs from Cirque du Soleil Academy of Ancient Music Complete Brandenberg Concertos tickets from Early Music Vancouver Literary Cabaret tickets at the Writer's Festival Pacific Cinemateque pass package Saturday passes for the Folk Festival Vancity Theatre ticket package and a pass package for the Film Festival Tickets for The Producers at the Arts Club Stanley Theatre Fringe Festival pass package Photo by Chris Cameron Photo by Paul Michaud Bug Art by Andrew Scott Lithograph by Brigette Qijong package for 4 sessions Highlife gift certificate Salmon goodies by Gary Kushner Website design package Various other gift certificates and baked goods and much more! Ironworks is 235 Alexander Street (just east of Main) and Tickets are $25 at the door. If you've ever enjoyed a show put on by one of these arts organizations, come on out and enjoy another for a good cause. See you there! Post comments in the Jazz Forum