A local theater group is doing more than teaching its young members about singing, dancing, and acting, it is teaching them about life.
That’s the goal of The Artists Avenue of Bayonne, which teaches children 8 to 17 years old about the performing arts, casting them in musicals and shepherding them through to a final performance.
Artists Avenue is the musical component of the Blessed to Bless Community Development Corporation.
Its influence has been felt halfway around the world.
The money raised by this “little off-Broadway company,” as spokeswoman Melody Del Rosario calls it, through members’ tuition fees and other drives has gone to help people following tragedy.
Students pay a $25 registration fee to join, and then $60 a month for their instruction, costumes, scenery, and other costs associated with their productions. Up to 40 percent of that money has gone to benefit relief efforts, such as assisting with Southeast Asia medical missions.
In November 2013, Artists Avenue helped in the rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
“We were able to raise more than $15,000, and people from all over New York and New Jersey donated goods,” Del Rosario said. “We sent almost 200 large boxes overseas to help victims.”
In July of the following year, the group raised more than $20,000, and sent a team to Tacloban, Philippines, one of the hardest hit areas of the typhoon. The local team consisted of a few kids who helped families rebuild community churches.
“We had a team that went every day for 30 days that helped many families tear down and replace sheet rock and also insulate homes.” – Melody Del Rosario
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Sandy help too
In late 2012, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Artists Avenue members helped Sandy victims in Midland Beach on Staten Island.
“We didn’t raise that much money, but we had a team that went every day for 30 days that helped many families tear down and replace sheet rock and also insulate homes,” Del Rosario said. “Our kids went out and sang for the victims that Christmas as well.”
2014 and this year were slower fundraising years for the group, but its members were unbowed. In both those years they helped Bayonne families get needed items lost due to fires.
Coming up next
On Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., the group will host a concert at St. Andrew the Apostle to raise money to start an orphanage in the Bicol region of the Philippines.
The group’s next theater production will be “Beauty and the Beast” in May.
For more information about the group, write Blessed to Bless CDC/Artists Avenue, 65 West 15 St., Bayonne NJ 07002, email artistsavenue@gmail.com, call (732) 784-7830, or visit theartistsavenue.wix.com/artave.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.