Community cast shines bright light on Avery

Musical returns May 31; benefit show supports foundation and its fight against pediatric brain cancer

By Mark Klaas • May 16, 2019 8:10 am
Community cast shines bright light on Avery

A cast of about 70 young performers comes to stage for the third annual Broadway for #BrAvery show on Friday, May 31.

The curtains open at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Riverside Theater, 501 Oravetz Road SE.

Proceeds benefit the Avery Huffman Defeat DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) Foundation to fund medical research needed to fight the deadly form of pediatric brain cancer. The foundation was established in memory of Avery, a 7-year-old Auburn girl, who lost her fight with the disease three years ago.

To date, Broadway for #brAvery has raised nearly $20,000.

During her fight, Avery impacted many in the Auburn community where she lived, including McKenna Webb, who was a 2016 finalist for Miss Auburn’s Outstanding Teen. Moved by Avery’s story, Avery identified DIPG awareness as her platform in the Miss Auburn and Miss Auburn’s Outstanding Teen Scholarship Program.

Broadway for #brAvery, which is done in partnership with the Auburn Riverside’s International Thespians Society, is filled with different Broadway and popular Disney musical numbers.

The cast is composed of students from middle schools and high schools in Auburn, Kent and Sumner, and elementary school-aged children from Auburn.

Webb, a senior at Auburn Riverside High School, has produced and directed the show each spring to honor her friend and support the foundation. Webb’s stage crew of volunteers has played a significant role in the growth and success of the show.

Webb has performed in more than 20 musicals and plays throughout the Seattle area and participated in the prestigious Summer Musical Theater Institute at Wagner College in New York. She plans to study the arts in college and build a career with her passion for the stage.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students (pre-school through high school). To reserve tickets, email events@averystrongdipg.org. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.

Learn more about the foundation at averystrongdipg.org or Facebook.com/averystrongDIPG, Twitter (@AveryStrongDIPG) and Instagram (@AveryStrongDIPG).