Rosie O’Donnell may not like Donald Trump, but she loves kids and can’t do enough for them. The wisecracking, outspoken actress and comedian is co-parenting five children and has her hands full, but she has always made time for her other kids — the students in her Rosie’s Theater Kids arts organization, many of whom happen to live in underserved communities here.
Back in early November, O’Donnell hosted a star-studded gala event at the Marriott Marquis on Broadway, which featured a special performance by her super-talented Rosie’s Theater Kids students. Thanks to the arts organization she co-founded in 2003, the lives of more than 50,000 city students’ lives have changed for the better.
Honoring Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth, and raising more than $800,000 to benefit the city’s public school students, Rosie’s Theater Kids’ 12th annual Gala recognized Chenoweth for her ongoing dedication and focus on arts education. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the benefit will be used to support the organization’s academic and artistic programs, which more than 2,000 local students utilize annually.
Chenoweth spoke to the importance of the organization, and how O’Donnell has inspired her.
“My love for kids who love the arts is never ending! I am simply here to help inspire them to follow their dreams, whatever they may be. When a child finds their purpose, they have no bounds. That combined with self-esteem, of course,” said Chenoweth. “My job and Rosie’s job is to keep them on their path. She has inspired me to start my own theater arts camp in the summer in my home state of Oklahoma. Giving back really inspires the one doing the GIVING. We are proving [that] the arts in schools and summer camps can change lives.”
It was an evening to remember. Many Broadway celebs were there to celebrate Rosie’s Theater Kids, among them actor BD Wong, comedian Fran Drescher, singer Orfeh, and actresses Jessie Mueller and Tatum O’Neal. But the real stars were the kids themselves. After welcome remarks by O’Donnell, the kids performed “RISE” (with music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder and Sara Bareilles), “A Little Medley,” and “Me, You, We,” inspired by the book, “I Am Malala,” by Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.
“We are grateful to all of those who were able to join us at the gala,” said Rosie’s Theater Kids Co-Founder Lori Klinger. “It is through everyone’s continued support that Rosie’s Theater Kids has been able been able to provide such meaningful experiences and ultimately enriching the lives of students through the arts. For many of our students, Rosie’s Theater Kids is so much more than an afterschool program — it is a family, a second home. The lessons they learn during their time with us are not just preparing them for the stage, they are preparing them for life.”
Rosie’s Theater Kids has teamed up with expert staff and guest Broadway professionals, so students can benefit from classes in music, dance, and drama, life skills development, academic guidance, and if needed, additional funding for higher education.
As one of the largest arts-in-education programs serving grades pre-K through 12, it is one of the only organizations that provide all of its core services free of charge to students and schools.
Thanks to O’Donnell’s vision, the organization helped creative students like Stuyvesant High School senior Zi-Ying Cao from Chinatown get a jumpstart in life. The rest was up to her.
Zi-Ying, now 17, is currently with the program. (She was one of the gala performers who sang “Me, You, We.”)
After winning a scholarship at Rosie’s Theater Kids, she became a Scholastic and Artistic Merit Scholar and is now applying to Ivy League schools. The scholarship assists students in need of “gap funding,” which is the remaining balance of funds needed to fill the gap between a student’s financial aid reward and the cost of tuition. The funds will be used to cover tuition, room and board, books, and other necessary items that come with the cost of higher education.
Zi-Ying’s parents were born and raised in small villages in China. She moved with her family to the US when she was 2. Because her parents knew very little English upon arrival, they were forced to work low-paying, laborious jobs.
Despite her modest upbringing, Zi Ying’s family always placed an emphasis on the importance of education. Her mother valued education so much that she made sacrifices in order to pay for tutoring for Zi Ying and her younger sister.
In addition to her many academic achievements, she is also an incredibly talented performer, having channeled her inner artist during her time at Rosie’s Theater Kids.
Daniel Estrella, now 22, is a scholarship student studying at the University of Michigan, as a member of its prestigious Musical Theatre program. He’s a Rosie’s Theater Kids graduate. He explains his involvement in the program:
“It was more than 10 years ago that I was introduced to RTKids’ PS Broadway program, which provided me, an overjoyed fifth grade student from the Bronx, who loved Motown, with an outlet to perform. My weekly RTKids classes at PS 153 introduced me to Broadway — a place accessible by way of a handful of subway stops, yet seemingly worlds away. This introduction to musical theater ended up truly changing my life.
“In addition to a multitude of unforgettable and professional experiences, Rosie’s Theater Kids helped me get into one of the top performing arts high schools in New York, provided me with SAT classes and tutoring, and offered intense, personalized assistance as I applied to colleges,” said Estrella. “I would not have had access to these resources otherwise.”
For more about Rosie’s Theater Kids [445 West 45th St., Manhattan], visit www.rosie
Tammy Scileppi is a Queens-based freelance writer and parent. Interviewing hundreds of New York City’s movers and shakers has been an amazing adventure for her. Scileppi’s work has appeared in a variety of media outlets.
