Artistic Director Leslie Noel with a child at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland.
The Peter Pan Foundation started as an organization that inspired children of all ages to be creative and give back while producing several big stage musicals a year. Since adding a performance troupe and partnering with local charitable organizations, PPF is now involved in non-stop community service. Any given month, they will be performing at an average of eight to 10 events, as varied as St. Baldrick’s Brave the Shave at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, participating in the Dance for Kindness event, and helping at local food banks.
“These events are instilling a sense of self, as well as a desire to be selfless,” explained Leslie Noel, founder and artistic director for the PPF. “Our participants see first-hand how capable they are – how capable we all are – of making positive changes in the world. PPF is providing a safe space for them to grow, feel confident that they have much to give others and then to use their gifts to spread love and light. It is a beautiful and humbling thing to be a part of.”
PPF, who moves into its new home in Lafayette on Jan. 1, holds its annual gala on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. and presents its winter musical, Into The Woods, Dec. 14 (7 p.m.); Dec. 15 (10 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m.) and Dec.16 (2 p.m.). This award-winning show is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel, all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them. Performances will be held at Northgate High School Theatre, 425 Castle Rock Rd., in Walnut Creek.
For more information, go to www.peterpanfoundation.org/calendar.
