TCCC 2025 Gala Celebration
October 18, 2025
Event Program
5:30 – 6:30 PM
Check-in
Professional photos taken at entry
5:45 – 6:45 PM
Hors d’oeuvres & Drinks
Famous Songs from Movies Performed by
Jay Asher
Karen Turner
Joseph Eid
Claire Bloom
Brent Hahn
Tiffany Bailey
Lauren Lundeen
Mairéad
Accompanied by Quartet of Us
Featuring
Sean Petersen, Ash Barrett, Mika Gevorkyan and Garrett Becker
7:00 – 8 PM
Dinner is served – Tables Will Be Called Two at a Time
Angel City Big Band Performs
7:50 – 8 PM
Executive Director Remarks
Guest Speakers
Speakers include Katie Abrams, Field Deputy for
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath
Sean Regan, Field Representative
for U.S. Representative
Brad Sherman
8:00 PM
Silent Auction Closes
50/50 Raffle Ticket Sales End
LIVE AUCTION
8:30 PM
Hollywood Hotshots Dancers
Angel City Big Band Performs
Winning Raffle Ticket Number Will Be Called
8:40 PM
Board President Gary Johns performs Fly Me to the Moon
Auction winners pick up their prizes at the Entry Table
(by the gazebo)
9:30
Good night!
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
DIRECTORS
SCREENWRITERS
CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Message from the President
Good evening and welcome!!!
With everything that is happening in our lives and in the world, I am grateful to be here with you tonight to share in the celebration of
"A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD".
The Center continues to grow with the Children’s Garden Program, the native plants and supporting wildlife, and as an art and music venue for all to gather and feel the grounding trees, plants and earth. As we hear the sounds of the street and the (sometimes very loud) vehicles whizzing by just outside our iron gates, the Center stands strong with deep roots of joy in a bubble of peace.
Relax with the dry creek beds, infinity water features and bridges. The rustic log bridge, has become one of the garden’s main attractions.
Once again, welcome…
Gary Lord Johns
President TCCC
MUSICAL GUESTS STARTING @ 5:45 PM
JAY ASHER is a singer-songwriter, media composer, arranger, and musical director, who many years ago moved from his hometown of Boston to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. He has written songs that have been recorded by
Julio Iglesias, Whitney Houston, Stephanie Mills, and Donna Summer, among others. He has also composed scores and songs for many TV series, TV Movies of the Week, and films, most notably New World Television's "Zorro.”
KAREN TURNER is a Los Angeles-based indie-folk-rock singer-songwriter and recording artist who has played in several bands, acoustic duos and as a solo act. She regularly performs around LA and Santa Barbara and LOVES playing here at the TCCC where the audience listens. She released her debut solo EP, “Tonight There Might Be Stars,” in 2022, and just shot her first music video for her soon-to-be released new song “Snowglobe”! She is honored to be asked to sing here tonight.
JOSEPH EID is a Los Angeles singer-songwriter by way of New York who crafts music that offers listeners a sense of renewal and deeper perspective. After moving to LA 18 years ago, he has consistently released original music, and has earned critical acclaim for his writing. In addition to his original work, Joseph is an experienced cover artist, with hundreds of live performances at venues including house parties, casinos, hotels, and country clubs. He is a proud supporter of the TCCC and is thrilled to contribute to this wonderful evening. You can connect with him on all social platforms @JosephEidMusic.
CLAIRE BLOOM has been the Executive Director of the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center since 2017 and is the
co-founder (with TCCC President Gary Johns) and host of the TCCC signature monthly Tarzana Music Nights. Her first album of original music, “Good As Anyone,” was released in 2013 and she is now working on a second, to be released in early 2026. Whether performing her own original songs or doing covers in any of the various bands she has been in, she loves to sing and perform in front of an audience. Claire is extremely grateful for all the friends and supporters here in Tarzana, the amazing local music community, and for her incredible board of directors and team of volunteers at TCCC.
BRENT HAHN has played his songs all over the Southland... On stages and bandstands and in cramped little corners from Sun Valley to Anaheim to West Covina... Both on his own and with his PsychoBilly trio, the Eyeball Cowboys. Diana March of Jeweled Universe writes that he combines "smart, incisive and humorous lyricism with strong, original melodies."
TIFFANY BAILEY is a singer, actress, and voiceover artist. She loves directing/scripting shows; singing: Musical Theater, Pop, Jazz, Cabaret, and even performing standards with a 16-piece Big Band. Additionally, she performs and writes music with the iconic ska band Ocean 11. You can come hear her live, or listen to her debut album: Jazz With Pop, which is available on all streaming platforms. Tiffany is also a Marriage and Family Therapist. She is trained in Dementia care, Art, Play, & Music therapy, and teaches Social Skills at Social Coaching Club in Woodland Hills.
LAUREN LUNDEEN has been performing and singing since she was four. Since 2023 she has performed at numerous venues including The Viper Room, House of Blues, and the Disney Concert Hall. Her performance genre is far from rigid; she has performed rock, folk, classical, alternative, pop, country, musical, and raps. She will sing anything you ask her to, even if it's in a foreign language!
MAIRÉAD is an artist of integrity, vision and passion, writing, producing and performing big songs that can break your heart wide open. Throughout her successful four-decade music career she has had the privilege of sharing tour and festival bills with such legends as Bob Dylan, Sinéad O’Connor and Sarah Mclachlan, among many others. Mairéad has performed across the US and Europe and released six solo albums and is currently working on finishing the “Everything” album – the last album in a multi-album set, titled LOVE IS EVERYTHING. “Love” and “Is” are streaming on all platforms now and “Everything” will be released in early 2026. Mairéad looks forward to taking the show on the road again.
The Angel City Big Band
The Angel City Big Band was founded in 2010 by baritone saxophone musician Tim Miller. Tim's father, a gifted jazz trumpeter and band leader encouraged Tim to perform from a young age with his big band. Herm left all of his precious jazz charts with his son. With this amazing legacy, Tim took the opportunity to establish the Angel City Big Band.
The Dancers
THE HOLLYWOOD HOTSHOTS dance group is an LA premier performance company, specializing in preservation and education of both Historical and Contemporary Urban American Street Dance. The company has performed at dance camps and special events internationally. They are considered one of the leading pioneers to bring authentic vernacular jazz dance back into the mainstream. The Company’s goal is to recreate the mood and spirit of the bygone era and to retain its authenticity through fashion, etiquette, and dance. They also create a fusion style by utilizing a variety of dance styles like Ballroom, Salsa, Tango, Afro-Cuban, Commercial, Jazz, and Hip Hop. They made their mark in music videos, TV, commercials, print, and film. Their most recent credits include being featured on Disney’s “Shake It Up”, ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars”, “The Bachelorette”, “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, “Crazy Ex”, FOX’s ” So You Think You Can Dance”, “Master Chef”, “Today’s The Day”, “School Dance”, HollywoodBowl “Brian Setzer in Concert”, Season 2 “LXD”, G.I.JOE , Tosh.O and Superbowl commercials for Budweiser, Samsung and Honda. They have been working with artists such as SIA, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Gloria Estefan, Redfoo, Jonas Brothers, Plain White T’s, and Matthew Morrison. They're excited to share their passion and take you on a journey through time!
TCCC 2025 GALA “A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD”
END CREDITS
GALA CO-CHAIRS: Claire Bloom, Madeleine Heil & Helen Davidov
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Sydney Wilkinson-Whitehead
ART DIRECTOR: Page Ridgeway
AUCTION CHAIRS: Helen Davidov, Mariam Berry & Madeleine Heil
AUCTION COMMITTEE: Claire Bloom, Jon Tsuchiyama,
Barbara Weisbrod-Soloman
ARCHITECTS: Gary Johns, Jon Tsuchiyama & Erick Merida
CATERERS: Little Bear Catering
BARTENDERS: Natalie Baber, Lisa Davis
PHOTOGRAPHER: Timothy Snell Photography
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Christin Webb
Tina Adams
Martha Bell
Zina Block
Nicole Conrad Charcuterie
Irene’s Party Rentals
Pamela Korst
Craig Lincoln
Cheri Mahlknecht
Steve Tsuchiyama
Justin Zingher
Rita Delong
Thank you to this year’s Silent Auction Donors:
A Faery Hunt
ABM Medical
Ameci Pizza & Pasta
Aria’s Grill
Tiffany Bailey
Helen Baker
Martha Bell
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Blu Jam Cafe
Cafe Bizou
Cafe Du Liban
Carnival Restaurant
Casaléna
Christy’s Pet Care
Core Bungee Fitness
Cornell Candle Co.
Dan Modern Chinese
Helen Davidov
Eureka!
Sal Guitarez
H.O.M. Italian Eatery
Madeleine Heil
Joey Woodland Hills
King’s Fish House
Kravings
Dr. Dana Lindon
Marmalade Cafe Calabasas
Miho Sushi
Mon Restaurant
More Than Waffles
Peet’s Coffee
Safir Mediterranean Grill
Seco Verde, Inc. Landscape Design
Sharky’s Tarzana
Shemesh Farms
Signature Smiles of Encino
Social Coaching Club
The Baker
The Local Peasant
Trader Joe’s
Vin Loi Tofu
VIP’s Family Restaurant
West Valley Nursery
The Children's Garden
Our Children’s Garden Program, which completed its fifth consecutive year this past summer, has been a phenomenal success and a wonderful addition to our community programs. Since its inception, this program has served hundreds of children in the San Fernando Valley, from all cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
For just a $5 per child registration fee, children ages 4-11 learn all about gardening, nutrition, plant science,art and music. For the past three years we have had the great fortune of having master gardener and longtime LAUSD educator Elizabeth Ostrom create the curriculum and lead the program. She has done a stupendous job creating a relevant, accessible and fun curriculum tailored to suit different age groups within the program. She has definitely taken this project to the next level, and we are so happy tohave her as part of our TCCC team. She is here tonight at this event as our guest.
In addition to Ms. Ostrom, we have many people to thank for getting the program underway. The Children’s Garden was a concept that had been gathering momentum at TCCC for many years, and we finally launched it in the summer of 2020. Former County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl has been a pivotal supporter of our organization and helped us a great deal in getting the program off the ground by granting us generous discretionary funds. These funds helped us to build an art shed and to purchase a large shadecloth, and several raised beds for planting. Members of our previous board of directors donated the picnic tables that we use for art and science projects in the Children’s Garden. In 2020, we received a $5,000 grant from Raw Inspiration to help launch the program. The following year, we received a $10,000 “Act of Caring” grant from One West Bank (now First Citizens Bank) to build a beautiful greenhouse, which is situated in the middle of the garden. In 2022, we received a $3,000 grant from the Whole Kids Foundation which helped to pay for planting supplies, art supplies and tools for science projects. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield allocated discretionary funds for the Children’s Garden from 2023 - 2024, and we also received a generous Neighborhood Purpose Grant (NPG) from the Tarzana Neighborhood Council in 2024. They have assured us that they believe this is a very worthwhile project and will continue to support it in the future. We have also received generous sponsorships from Avalon Law Firm, Vista Ford, and US Bank that have helped us expand, develop and fund the program.
Last but not least, our own Executive Vice President, Jon Tsuchiyama, has donated thousands of dollars’ worth of gardening and planting supplies to the program over the past five years. In addition, “Farmer Jon,” as the kids call him, volunteers in the program at every session, digging his hands into the soil and teaching them all about seeds, plants, and vegetables, and how to be a great gardener.
A Brief History of “The Corner”
Tarzana is the birthplace of Tarzan – Lord of the Apes. Celebrated American novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs created the world-famous jungle hero right here on his own spacious Tarzana Ranch, in the San Fernando Valley where he spent most of his life riding, writing, and living life to the fullest. The author would have seen and recognized the modest 1940s Spanish-style home located just a few blocks west of his own large, hilltop hacienda.
The house was built in 1940 by Diana Delugge for Diana and Rudy’s Garden Statuary business. It now serves as the offices for the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center, and also a small museum that highlights the early history of Tarzana and Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose world famous character gave Tarzana its name. It also has meeting rooms for local community organizations and educational programs.
From the early ’50s through the next four decades, this property on the corner became Diane and Rudy’s Garden Statuary, a rustic, wooded outlet well known to Valley residents. In the early ’90s, it was sold to a commercial developer who, in turn, sold it a few years later to a major storage company.
For a time, it seemed as if one more commercial venture was to occupy this special piece of land. Helen Itria Norman, then president of the Tarzana Property Owners Association, had a “wild daydream” to build a community and cultural center where the property could be used as “a community meeting place where people can come together to discuss their respective needs, and find solutions.” Initially, her dream seemed unlikely to become a reality, but in 2000, local resident Helen Baker donated funds to start a foundation to raise the money to purchase the property. While Ms. Baker fought to get support for the project, other corporations including Sav-On and Jiffy Lube expressed interest in acquiring the property for commercial purposes. Had any of them succeeded, it would have undoubtedly led to the removal of the mature trees, wisteria vines and gurgling fountains that Helen was so drawn to, that became the basis of the lovely garden we enjoy here today.
TCCC Founder Helen Baker
Ms. Baker managed to secure additional donations along with a sizable bank loan and a generous grant from the County Supervisor’s office, and TCCC was founded in 2002.
Since opening its doors in 2002, TCCC has played host to hundreds of community events and been a meeting place for many different community and cultural groups. Some of the organizations that have called TCCC home include Wings Over Wendy’s, The Jewish Federation, Climate Reality Project, Tarzana Property Owners Association, Tarzana Improvement Association, a community book forum, a Persian poetry group, local MS support groups, a burn survivor support group, and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Currently, TCCC hosts a monthly music showcase for local singer-songwriters, a Ted Talk-style speaker series on a variety of topics, comedy and theatrical presentations, health and wellness classes, Hebrew classes, art classes, music classes for blind students, Music Together™, a free children’s garden program that incorporates gardening, art and science, plus other cultural and educational programs. The property is also available to the public to rent for private events and celebrations for a reasonable fee, with discounts for other non-profit organizations.
Join our Community for upcoming events.
Make a contribution to the Center to show your support.
Become a member today!
TARZANA COMMUNITY & CULTURAL CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Gary Lord Johns
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT
Jon Tsuchiyama
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Michael Belcher
VP of MEMBERSHIP
Barbara Weisbrod-Soloman
TREASURER
Lisa Polydoros
SECRETARY
Sydney Wilkinson-Whitehead
DIRECTORS
Helen Davidov, Craig Lincoln and Justin Zingher
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Helen Baker
ADVISORY BOARD
Kathy Delle Donne, Linda Burroughs, Steven Ho
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Claire Bloom
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Christin Webb
GROUNDSKEEPER
Erick Merida
MISSION STATEMENT: TCCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit established to provide a facility, in a park-like setting, dedicated to the community for meetings, activities and programs that promote community spirit, the arts, education, and environmental awareness.