Month: March 2011

He Sings, He Acts, He Teaches Kids! Meet William O’Neill.

Drama teacher Bill O'Neill

Who is William O’Neill?

When William O’Neill came to us, I thought, “could this guy be for real?”  Baritone Opera Singer, Actor, Drama Teacher, a performing arts Jack-of-all trades! Plus, his easy-going presence, playful demeanor and enthusiasm for the Arts was hard to ignore. Oh…and he also founded a very popular Theater and Singing program through the City of San Clemente PARKS & RECREATION! YES!  Thankfully, he decided to move up north and join us in Redwood City. He will be teaching After-School and Summer Theater programs this season (see below). We are excited to announce, that the Summer Camp will be held at the AMAZING Carrington Hall at Sequoia High School.

William, aka “Bill” started doing theater when he was very young. His Church-Music-Director-Father encouraged him to try singing and acting.  Bill started singing in the choir at the ripe age of five years old, and ventured on to do his first musical when he was eight. He has NEVER STOPPED SINCE!  His love for performing brought him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he graduated with a M.A. in Voice and Opera. Bill has performed in many productions at the SF Conservatory of Music. Some of his more noteworthy parts include: Bottom, in A MidSummer Night’s Dream; Sarastro,  in The Magic Flute; Don Magnifico, in the opera of Cinderella; and Colline, in La Boheme.

Check out his Pipes & Chops in this video of Bill performing in La Boheme:

Some Fun Facts About Bill:

Fave movie: I’d have to say it’s toss up between The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Movies. I’m a big fantasy buff!

Fave TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Iron Chef America

Fave Actors: Male: Matt Damon / Female: Natalie Portman

Fave Dessert: Gourmet Cupcakes! Especially from places like Sprinkles or Kara’s Cupcakes.

Fave place to see a show: Broadway in New York, OF COURSE! Second is Carrington Hall in Redwood City 😉

First acting role: A street kid in the musical of Cinderella when I was 8. My first speaking part, was Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol when I was in 7th grade.

Fave acting role: My favorite show I’ve ever been in is actually one I’m doing right now. It’s called a Year With Frog and Toad. I’m performing it with Bay Area Children’s Theater. I play the part of Toad.

First movie you ever saw: Hahaha… I think it was probably the original Tron in the early 80’s. I also recall seeing the original Clash of the Titans around the same time. So I’m not sure…

What does Music & the Arts mean to you?: I have advice for all of the kids out there, to never give up on your dreams. When I was a kid I had a lot of speech problems to overcome, but doing things like music and theater is what helped me to break though those problems and give me self-confidence. I wouldn’t be the adult I am today without all the training I had a as a child.

Camp & Class Information:

3rd-5th graders can enjoy…
Adventures in Theater Workshop – Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 5th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

5th-8th graders can enjoy…
Too Much Drama! – Thursdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 7th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

Summer Camp at Carrington Hall…
Summer Performing Arts Program – Monday through Friday, 8:30am-3pm, July 11-22. 
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION



Sandpiper Kids Bake for a Cause

collage of kids and bake sale

Last year, the children of the Sandpiper Youth Club Program in Redwood Shores, wanted to do something for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake. They of course did what they knew best…have a bake sale! A goal of $1000 was set, and in less than 3 hours, they accomplished it! The recent devastation in Japan prompted our program’s fearless leader, Telisha “I came to teach you” Brent to embark on a repeat performance.  Armed with homemade flyers and enthusiasm, the staff and children promoted their sale for Tsunami/Earthquake Relief on the Monday prior to Friday’s sale. They informed the community and the school, and asked for donations of baked goods or cash to support their endeavor. Our staff also agreed to bake cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. in the name of charity, on their own time.

cupcakes!Over 25 parents brought baked goods from home and Telisha “I reach out to my friends” Brent tapped into her  network and was able to secure 100 more cupcakes from a friend of hers who was interning at a bakery! They had over 500 cupcakes alone!  Our kids were somewhat saddened on the day of the main event, when the weather became extremely uncooperative which unfortunately added some poetic justice to the cause. Gale force winds, sheets of rain and even a TORNADO WARNING (what???) stood in the way of their hopes, but did not discourage their efforts in the least. The Bake Sale had less exposure to passers-by, as it had to be relocated indoors.  Surprisingly, the act of charity prevailed and approximately 300 people purchased or just made a donation to the cause.

yummy cupcake!This time, the children had set a goal of $1500 and were recognizably excited about donating, and at times, buying a couple of items and paying with a $20 and donating the change. The outcome? They raised a whopping $1042 for Japan Relief Efforts.

Besides raising money to help those in need, Telisha  feels strongly, that “events like these are important to involve children in to teach them a sense of compassion. The children were willing and eager to help, and to be honest…that was just as important as the money they raised.”  They had a sense of pride and a strong feeling that they too have made a difference.

Ready…Set…RUN!

Ahhh… the wind in their hair, the smell of fresh air, getting their hearts pumping while keeping their fingers from texting… such great benefits can be attained through the extremely accessible sport of running! Running doesn’t require expensive equipment, just a pair of good shoes and a desire to get out there and do one’s best!

Ready, Set, Run is a “character building” running program for Boys and Girls, ages 8-13, that will prepare kids to participate in a 5K (3.1 mile) run—The Redwood City 4TH OF JULY FUN RUN!

  • Participants will receive 12 weeks of running instruction, a training manual, t-shirt, and enrollment into the Redwood City, 4th of July Fun Run.
  • COST: $25.00
  • Topics Covered: Proper physical training and nutrition, goal-setting, confidence, peer pressure, self-esteem, respecting authority, etc.
  • MANDATORY PARENT ORIENTATION: MARCH 24TH @ 6PM RED MORTON CENTER.

Program Days/Dates: April 4th-July 4th Mondays & Wednesdays
Times: 4pm-5:30pm (No class 4/18-2/22)
Location: Kennedy Middle School (Stulsaft/Sequoia HS)

Registration Deadline: March 16th, 2011. Click here for a registration form!

We are very excited about offering this new program to the youth of Redwood City! If you have any questions, please contact Erin Niemeyer at 650.780.7335.