Badiene Magaziner's Young Voices For Change Comes to Feinstein's/54 Below

Internationally acclaimed Voice Teacher, Badiene Magaziner, will be producing and hosting a benefit at FEINSTEIN'S/54Below on Monday, April 8th at 7PM, with Jillian Zack as Music Director to raise funds for the Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation. The foundation provides underserved children with funding and resources necessary to attend yearlong lessons in dance, acting, vocal instruction, and instrumental music. The organization helps children who are living in challenging environments find their own voice, increase their self-esteem, gives them a sense of belonging, and provides them with positive reinforcement. For some, it is the only constant they have in their lives. Broadway and Broadway bound performers from the Magaziner Vocal Studio will take the stage under the umbrella organization Magaziner founded, Young Voices for Change, along with scholarship recipients of the Applaud Our Kids Foundation.

Zzak G., an operatic tenor was a student of Badiene Magaziner. He was unable to afford vocal lessons in his youth and did not start taking lessons until much later in life. Singing was his passion and under Badiene's tutelage, Zzak went on to become a lyricist. He wrote a heartfelt poems which, Badiene felt that it should be the lyrics to a song and encouraged Zzak to contact Tony Coluccio, producer, and together, they wrote and produced the video, The Homeless, which garnered over 10,000 views on YouTube.

In October of 2014 Zzak was diagnosed with ALS. He lost his battle 6 months later. The performing arts kept him going up until the end. Although paralyzed, he sang Happy Birthday to his granddaughter a week before he passed away. Zzak adored Badiene and looked to her for her expertise to help him to hone his talent. The Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation was founded by his daughters Jodi and Melissa Grinwald in his honor after his passing.

"I am so thrilled to be able to honor Zzak's memory and build his legacy," said Magaziner.

The show will feature MVS Broadway Will Coombs, (The Ferryman, A Bronx Tale, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Ferryman) Carly Gold, (The Ferryman) Annabelle Kempf (Billy Elliot) Mary Stewart Sullivan (Enron) Nicky Torchia (Kinky Boots, The Kind and I) Raquel Nobile (Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof) and Hannah Bonnett (Off-Broadway Big Bang Theory) Julian Lerner (Les Miz Natinoal Tour) Clementine Kline (A Christmas Story, National Tour) Caitlyn Kops (How the Grinch Stole Christman) and Piera Van de Wiel (Off-Broadway The Three Musketeers) performing alongside MVS and professional and aspiring students and AOKF recipients.

"I applaud Zaak's daughters, Jodi and Melissa in giving these kids a chance to study music and to perform with Broadway kids!"

Magaziner, a Juilliard alumna and Juilliard faculty member, founded Young Voices for Change, an umbrella group largely comprised of her students, to enable young performers to use their talents to effect social change and have a positive impact in the community.

Visit www.applaudourkids.org for more information.