The Celebration of Change Silver Anniversary show was performed on Saturday, June 13 in the Wilda Marston Theater, presenting a variety of female musicians, poets and comedians to the mostly female audience. 

Celebration is the main fundraiser for RAW, Radical Arts for Women, a Lesbian and Feminist philanthropic group that funds Alaskan women art projects.

The Wilda Marston Theater is also being used this month as the overflow room for the Assembly hearing on the equal rights ordinance, which seeks to add “sexual orientation” to the Anchorage nondiscrimination policies.

But on June 13, the Wilda Marston rocked with the sounds of women’s voices, from original jazz to pop and opera, Balkan folk songs on the accordion to the Mary Tyler Moore show theme song, and covers of rock and country. Several of the performers are new to Alaska or new to Celebration. Other performers, and many audience members, have been coming to Celebration of Change for years, or decades.

The Radical Woman Award 2009 was presented to Victoria Shaver for her work with Celebration and the LGBT community. Congratulations, Victoria!