The Red Hot Benefit Comedy + Music & Quinceanera was a charity fundraising evening led by Chad Smith and Will Ferrell held on 29th April, 2016 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Beneficiaries from the event included Cancer for College and The Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The evening centered around the drumming talents of Chad Smith and Will Ferrell returning to the theme of their drum-off on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ back in 2014 for a re-match fundraiser.
Red Hot Benefit Comedy + Music & Quinceanera Program Transcript of Main pages
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Hello friends,
Welcome to Red Hot Benefit Comedy + Music and Quinceanera!
This is truly a dream come true. Through some horrible parental oversight, neither Chad not I ever formally celebrated our Quinceanera. Tonight we are going to right that wrong. As advertised, you will be subject to tremendous amounts of comedy thanks to Jim Gaffigan, Nick Offerman, Roy Wood Jr. the ally natured good natured folks at Funny or Die and any other funny people we brought on board after the printing of the program. There will also be copious amounts of music from the iconic band Devo. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other surprise musical guests.
This is a very special event. All of the proceeds from tonight’s show will benefit two causes that are very important to us in Cancer for College and the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. For over 23 years, Cancer for College has been providing college sponsorships to cancer survivors. Silverlake provides musical instruments and instruction to underprivileged youth. You read more about each organization and the good work they do in the subsequent pages of this program.
We’d also like to personally thank all of the companies and hard working individuals who gave their time, money and resources to make this show possible. We are going to be honest with you, there was a time a few weeks ago where this show Chad and I doing needle point and playing bongos for about a half hour. We think this show you will ultimately see tonight is gonna be way better.
Sat back, relax and get ready to have a great time. Anyone feeling as if they have not received appropriate amounts of comedy and or music at the end of the night should see Barry in row 37, seat DD. He will handling all complaints and refunds.
Your Amigos,
Will Ferrell and Chad Smith
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Our Story
Cancer for College was founded in 1993 by two-time cancer survivor and double amputee Craig Pollard. Craig was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 15. Craig was a seemingly healthy young man. He was a standout on both the football field and the baseball diamond. While cancer knocked him down, he never lost sight of his dream of attending college and playing professional baseball. He earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California and was a member of the Trojan baseball team. Life was good.
Suddenly, at the age 19 cancer returned. The disease reared its ugly head a second time battering Craig’s body and testing his will to survive. He watched helplessly from his hospital bed as his friends, family, baseball career-and his college experience seemed ‘to be slipping away. He made a promise that if he survived, he would make a difference in the world.
Thanks to a life saving bone marrow transplant, Craig’s health did return. He then set out on a journey to find a way to give back to the world. Craig saw first hand how cancer can not only impact a family physically and emotionally, it can devastate a family financially as well. He saw families using every last resource to return their child to health leaving precious little in reserve for things such as college education. That is where the idea of Cancer for College was born.
Together with friends and family, including one not so famous college fraternity brother named Will Ferrell, Craig staged his first fundraising golf tournament. They raised $500 and gave all the…
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…money to one survivor. It felt so good they decided to do it again and again. As Will’s fame grew, so did the profile of Cancer for College events. Will’s hosted golf tournament, comedy shows, tennis tournaments, pub crawIs and even starred in the HBO comedy special ‘Ferrell Takes the Field’ to benefit the cause. Since inception, the charity has granted over $2 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 cancer survivors around the country. In 2016, the charity is launching a new mentor program to partner individuals and corporate partners with cancer survivors to help guide them through the college experience and into the world.
To learn how you can make a difference in the life of a cancer survivor, please visit www.cancerforcollege.org
WILT PHEARRELL JR.
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Enriching Lives with Music
Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a non-profit organisation created in 2001 to fill a void in the cultural landscape of our community. We offer the people of our area the opportunity to study music with exceptional teachers at a reasonable price. We grant scholarships to deserving children providing free lessons and instruments. The faculty of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music is comprised of professional teachers and musicians with many years of experience. Our approach to teaching is low stress and emphasizes growth.
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Setting the Bar High
The curriculum employed at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music includes instrumental technique and music reading. As a student’s proficiency increases examples of various musical idioms and music theory are introduced. The Silverlake Conservatory of Music is one of the finest facilities of its kind. We feature eight sound proofed and air conditioned studios for maximum comfort and have a recital area for performances and clinics. We strive to create the most conducive environment for the study of music.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary, President; Founding Member, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Keith Barry: Dean of instruction, Silverlake Conservatory of Music
Joseph Braun, PhD. Secretary. Professor Emeritus and former Dean of Education, California State University.
Bo Gardner. Treasurer: Managing Director. Provident Financial Management.
Eric Greenspan, JD: Partner, Mymam (?), Greenspan, Fox, Rosenberg and Light LLP
Anthony Kiedis: Founding Member, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Ian Montone: Owner, Founder Montone, Inc. Co-founder LBI entertainment
Jennifer Rey: Executive Director, Silverlake Conservatory of Music
John Silva: President, Silva Arts Management, LLC
Sudan Weisner, JD: Principal, Weisner Law Corporation
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Until Next Time…
Will Ferrell & Chad Smith’s Red Hot Benefit Comedy + Music and Quinceanera was born out of a silly little drum off challenge on Reddit between a couple of really great guys who just happen to resemble each other. In other words, the exact same way all great success stories begin. The end result has become so much more than a silly joke. Teams of people have given their time, talent, resources, blood, sweat and tears to making this project a spectacular experience for everyone. Everyone who helped on the show was amazing except for Hector from accounting. He got a paper cut at the very first meeting then rolled around on the ground for 15 minutes screaming ‘why me’ and left. We haven’t seen him since. We don’t want to thank Hector.
Many thanks to Angra for taking the pics of her program.