Day Dreams:
A benefit cabaret concert for SFArtsED with Ruby Day & Friends

Tuesday, February 18th, 7pm
(doors open at 6pm)

Club Fugazi, 678 Green Street
Tickets are $50 general and $25 student/senior/artist
415-273-0600

The San Francisco Arts Education Project proudly presents its annual Producers Circle benefit concert, this year headlined by Artist Mentor Ruby Day fresh from her acclaimed starring role in Sara Bareilles’ Waitress at San Francisco Playhouse. Ruby’s friends and fellow performers include Sharon Shao, Ryan Patrick Welsh, Tanika Baptiste, Sam Faustine, Raquel Chavez, and Kathryn Aarons. Plus, you can expect some not-to-be-missed surprises.

All of these wonderful performers are joining their prodigious talents to benefit SFArtsED’s performing arts programs, including the SFArtsED Players, who will be performing Shrek the Musical for four performances only April 25-27 at the Presidio Theatre.

 

Ruby Day
is a singer, stage and voiceover actor, and teaching artist based in the Bay Area, with a degree in Musical Theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Most recently, you may have seen her perform as Jenna in Waitress at SF Playhouse. Some of her other favorite roles: Star to Be in Annie (The National and International Tour) Snow White in SF’s longest running musical revue, Beach Blanket Babylon, Carrie in Carousel, Ilse in Spring Awakening. Ruby recently performed with her dearest friends in the dazzling queer cabaret fantasy Sex, Camp, Rock & Roll, at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, to several 4-star reviews. Ruby has done commercial and voice over work for Apple, Logitech, Zoom, and Hers.com, among many other companies. Aside from theater, she has also performed as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, back-up danced for Belle and Sebastian at Radio City Music Hall, and is a graduate of the clown conservatory of SF. Ruby also has a deep passion for making music with her dear friends and has many creative projects a-brewin’. Ruby has been an SFArtsED Artist Mentor since 2022. @_therubyday_

TICKETS

Please Note: For half-price student/senior/artist pricing, choose your desired number of tickets then hit “buy tickets.” On the next screen, toggle from adult to student, and that will get you the discount pricing.

Sharon Shao

is a Bay Area-native actor and teaching artist. Local credits include Waitress (SF Playhouse), Far Country (Berkeley Rep), Chinglish (SF Playhouse), Sleeping Beauty (Panto in the Presidio), The Winter’s Tale, Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes), The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (SF Playhouse, *recipient of SFBATCC featured actress award), Man of God (Shotgun Players), Vinegar Tom (Shotgun Players), The Tempest, Hamlet (Oakland Theater Project). She recently co-produced a highly acclaimed original cabaret called Sex Camp Rock N’ Roll at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She received a double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. Offstage, Sharon is passionate about teaching voice and drama to young artists, devising original work, and building creative communities here and abroad. sharonshao.biz

Tanika Baptiste

is a SFBATCC-winning director, actor, vocalist and costume designer in the Bay Area. Select Regional credits: Becky in Waitress (San Francisco Playhouse) Adenikeh in Nollywood Dreams (SF Playhouse) Delorirs Van Cartier in Sister Act (Woodminster Theatre and Pittsburg Theatre ), Effie in Dreamgirls (Berkeley Playhouse). Select directorial credits: Crumbs From the Table of Joy (Townhall Theatre) Giraffes Can’t Dance (Bay Area Children’s Theatre). Tanika is also the Head of Entertainment for Enchant Christmas at Paypal Park Stadium in San Jose and is a proud member of both the Actors Equity Association and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. @tanikabaptiste

Sam Faustine

is an award winning San Francisco born-and-raised musician and singer who performs a wide-variety of genres ranging from Baroque Opera to Modern Musical Theatre. Last season, he was a member of the first National Tour of Broadway’s A Christmas Carol and made his third appearance as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony performing the Roasted Swan in Carmina Burana. Sam has appeared in Europe, China, and across the US in roles such as Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Tony in West Side Story, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Curly in Oklahoma!, and Candide in Candide. In addition to his staged-performance career, Sam sings with many Sacred Music and Choral ensembles across the country, most notably the internationally touring; Byrd Ensemble. When not performing classical music and music theatre, Sam plays in a Queen cover band impersonating Freddie Mercury. @samfaustinesf and samfaustine.com for more!

Kathryn Aarons

is a performer, choreographer, and teaching artist from the Bay Area and is beyond thrilled to be here tonight supporting such an incredible program! She has been a dance instructor and choreographer for two summers of SFArtsED’s Broadway Bound and is currently helping choreograph Shrek the Musical with the SFArtsED Players. Kathryn holds an Irene Ryan Nomination for Best Actress for her performance as Whatsername in Green Day’s American Idiot (Chico State) and has performed in regional productions in California and Iowa, along with a few cabarets in NYC! Favorite roles to date: Mrs. Walker in The Who’s Tommy, The Yellow Girl in SHOUT! (Clinton Showboat), Cinderella in Into the Woods and Kate Monster in Avenue Q (Chico State). Kathryn also works as a choreographer and guest artist for various high schools in the Peninsula, and is overjoyed at any opportunity to teach the next generation of artists @kathryn.aarons kathrynaarons.com

Ryan Patrick (RP) Welsh

aka The 8th Best Legs in San Francisco, has performed extensively in the Bay Area for the last seven years most notably with The San Francisco Neo-Futurists, Peaches Christ Productions, & Baloney, San Francisco’s Gay All-Male Revue. Recent credits include Panto at the Presidio (Sleeping Beauty), The Narrator in Oasis’ The Rocky Horror Show & U/S for the Wicked Witch in ACT’s The Wizard of Oz. RP’s solo show Sex, Camp, Rock ‘ N Roll has been performed to rave reviews. @beltingdowntheoctave

Raquel Chavez

is an NYC-based actor and director from the Bay Area. Off-Broadway: Pre-Existing Condition (Connelly Theater), Uncle Vanya (OHenry Productions), Epiphany, The Coast Starlight (Lincoln Center). Other New York: Clear Blue Skies: Diaries from Ukraine (sponsored by Society Theater), Masha in Three Sisters/If We Only Knew (in memory of Fred Eberstadt). Career highlight: 8th grade at Mill Valley Middle School playing Anita opposite Ruby Day as Maria in West Side Story. Recent Directing: Love’s Labor’s Lost (Smith Street Stage). TV: “Law & Order: SVU”, “The Good Fight”. BA Columbia University, MFA NYU Grad Acting. raquel-chavez.com