Vanity Fair & 'Captain America' Save the Day at Concord Youth Theatre

It's been quite a week at Concord Youth Theatre (CYT)!  Not to say it isn’t normally busy at the 358 Baker Avenue theater space, with at least two shows in rehearsal along with classes, meetings and workshops at any given time, but this week has brought great news and opportunity for the organization.  Thanks to one of the world’s favorite super-heroes, CYT is going to be on the receiving end of great fortune!

Internationally, he’s known mostly as Marvel’s “Captain America,” but at Concord Youth Theatre, actor Chris Evans is just Artistic Director Lisa Evans’ son… the movie star.  Thankfully, Chris is proud of his theatrical roots which began his career almost twenty years ago with CYT.  Because he looks so fondly back on those formative years, when Evans was asked to host this year’s Vanity Fair  pre-Oscar week party in Los Angeles, he was happy to sign on – since Vanity Fair agreed to make a donation  to his favorite charity - CYT!  

This is an amazing opportunity for the long-time, youth theatre company, celebrating nearly forty years producing shows with and for children in the area. Just this past May, CYT finally opened the doors to its first very-own theater space. “We had been operating nomadically for so long,” explains Lisa Evans, “we really needed a steady, secure space where we could keep running our youth programming.  Rehearsing in one space, performing in another, and holding meetings and workshops in a third – it was too crazy, and more importantly – detrimental to our kids and their experience.”  Thanks to contributions from Chris Evans and many other supporters including actress Reese Witherspoon and her husband Jim Toth (also Chris’ Agent), CYT held the final ribbon-cutting for their black box space in early June, 2013.  About the Vanity Fair donation, Evans added, “We are truly thankful for Vanity Fair’s (and Chris’) generosity!”

CYT President Heidi Kidder expanded on how this opportunity will help CYT in addition to the obvious financial benefit.  “Who’d have ever thought that CYT would be getting such valuable exposure across the country - literally!  At Vanity Fair’s event, CYT will be a featured presence, most importantly on the step and repeat.” [A step and repeat is a wall featuring sponsors logos seen on runways, red carpets, etc.]  Kidder continued, “Celebrities will step onto the red carpet, pose and have Concord Youth Theatre’s logo behind them!  It’s very exciting for us!”

In addition, Vanity Fair will be videotaping the event, providing Concord Youth Theatre a copy to use promotionally and enjoy, as well as the group getting a featured listing in Vanity Fair Magazine.  It is CYT’s hope that this added exposure will help in their additional fundraising efforts so that they’ll be able to develop future programs rather than just maintaining the existing ones.  Says Evans, “Through our performance company productions, theatre arts classes, summer workshops and guest artist performances, CYT teaches young people skills not only essential for performance on the stage, but even more critical to their success in school, work and social settings.  We want to continue all of these things in our new space, but also enhance them and provide even more opportunities for our kids – it’s all about them!  They are why we do everything we do.”

Says Chris Evans, “Yeah, of course CYT is my favorite charity, but not just because my Mom runs the ship.  I’m a direct result of what CYT does for kids, and I can honestly say the organization made me much of who I am today.  It took the talent that I had, developed it, encouraged it, expanded on it; and those that I got to know through CYT have been supportive friends to this day.  I will forever be thankful to my mentor and CYT Founder Kay DeFord. If I can give back through opportunities such as this and help to perpetuate her legacy – of course I’m happy to do so.  On another level, I really enjoy sharing my success with friends I made through CYT.  I’ve invited several alum who are local to L.A. to the Vanity Fair event, such as another CYT success story, Xander Singh, keyboard player for Passion Pit.”

“Giving back is an understatement,” says CYT Office Manager Corinne Kinsman. “Having known Chris since he was a kid, it’s no surprise that he continues to support CYT.  We are fortunate to have him and known him, not because he’s doing so well in Hollywood, just because we’re so proud of him and the person he has become…he’s one of the greatest guys we know!”

Since 1976, the non-profit, educational Concord Youth Theatre has entertained thousands of families every season with bold and innovative family theatre, providing many children with their first introduction to live theatre. CYT offers three performance companies for young people to participate in full scale musical productions.  The next production will be the musical HONK!, the story of an ugly duckling, whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. Separated from the farm and pursued by the hungry Cat, Ugly must find his way home. Along his journey he not only discovers his true beauty but finds love and acceptance in all its forms. HONK! runs March 7 and 14 at 7:30pm; March 8 and 15 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm; and March 9 and 16 at 2:30pm.  Call (978) 371-1482 or visit www.concordyouththeatre.org for tickets and other information.

Vanity Fair is a magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition.  As a successor to a similar invitation-only event annually held by the late agent Irving Paul Lazar, the first Vanity Fair Oscar Party took place in 1994. During its first years, the magazine's Oscar party was co-hosted by producer Steve Tisch at Morton's in West Hollywood. Between 2009 and 2013, the party was held at Sunset Tower. This year’s event, to be held on February 25, 2014, will be presented by Vanity Fair and Fiat and will be a special celebration of young Hollywood. The evening, at No Vacancy in Hollywood, is an invitation-only reception part of Campaign Hollywood, Vanity Fair’s annual week-long series of events and one-of-a-kind moments in support of charitable causes. Guests for the evening will represent the young talent in Hollywood today, as well as industry insiders who will enjoy music by D.J.  Ms. Nix. Vanity Fair makes a limited number of invitations available each year for charity. For more information about this historical Hollywood event, visit www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/03/history-of-the-oscar-party.