The Lobero Theatre has had a banner year in benefit concerts. The Lobero Theatre Foundation was established in 1938 to raise funds to maintain and upgrade the physical aspects of the Lobero and to bring community-enhancing events to its stage. In keeping with this mission, the Lobero Theatre Foundation works tirelessly to offer assistance to nonprofit organizations renting the theater in terms of technical knowledge and fees, as well as event marketing and coordination.
To support to these efforts, click here to make a contribution to the Lobero Theatre Annual Fund, which serves a variety of needs from community programs to stage maintenance, and keeps the Lobero strong throughout the year.
The Lobero Theatre Foundation is proud of the role the theater plays in serving the Santa Barbara nonprofit community, and would like to recap some of 2011’s benefit concerts and events:
In July, the Lobero hosted the Steve Miller Band for Goleta-based, and guitarists’ best friend, Seymour Duncan’s 35th Anniversary Party. Presented by the New Noise Music Foundation, the performance and auction items benefited Notes for Notes, a local nonprofit that builds music studios in Boys & Girls Clubs and provides instructions to any club member who wishes to learn to create and record music.
Glen Campbell, the “Rhinestone Cowboy” and a true living legend of American music, graced the Lobero stage on Oct. 9 in a concert to benefit the California Central Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. It was a poignant evening, as Campbell recently announced his own Alzheimer’s diagnosis and began his Farewell Tour. It was an emotional evening as audience members joined together to celebrate the climax of a stunning musical career and to fight a disease that impacts millions of Americans.
Later that week, Carol Burnett was honored by the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. Comedian and Santa Barbara resident Dennis Miller served as emcee, while Jane Lynch and Stephen Baldwin came out to fete the legendary actress and philanthropist. The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation provides financial and emotional support provides financial and emotional support to families of children who have cancer living in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
The fun continued Oct. 16 with the Santa Barbara Revels’ rousing Oktoberfest fundraiser in the Lobero Courtyard. This Bavarian-themed celebration featured bratwurst, sauerkraut, door prizes, auction items and, of course, beer! All proceeds benefited The Christmas Revels, an annual holiday production fast becoming a Santa Barbara tradition.
Nov. 5 saw the return of Toad the Wet Sprocket in the second annual benefit performance for the Santa Barbara Birth Center. Toad the Wet Sprocket began in 1986 in Santa Barbara and went on to breakout commercial success with their platinum albums Fear and Dulcinea. Though the band dissolved in 1998, they have continued to play in support of local nonprofits since 2006. The Santa Barbara Birth Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing complete midwifery care to women with low-risk pregnancies who see a safe alternative to birth in the hospital.
The last benefit concert of the 2011 calendar year was the Alan Parsons Live Project in support of United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County on Nov. 12. Parsons had an incredible career working in the sound booth with some of the biggest names in rock, including The Beatles, The Hollies and Pink Floyd. The Boys & Girls Clubs provide low-cost after-school programs for primary and secondary school students. Programs range from sports and recreation to character and leadership development to arts education and homework assistance.
To present a fundraiser at the Lobero Theatre, email Lobero Theatre Executive Director David Asbell at dasbell@lobero.com.
— Angie Bertucci is a marketing and communications liaison for the Lobero Theatre Foundation.