Dream team: Legally blind cabaret singer, students with disabilities to take stage in benefit concert

For vocalist, cabaret artist and disabilities advocate Marleena Barber — born legally blind due to a genetic condition called albinism that affects pigmentation and causes sensitivity to sunlight — music played a vital role on her personal journey toward self-acceptance.

And in “A Million Dreams,” a Sept. 8 performance at Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa, Barber will bring her personal story to life in a song and spoken word concert benefiting the arts nonprofit’s Studio D, which provides music, dance and theater education for children and adults with disabilities.

The event aims to support the programs of Studio D, which give those age 4 or older a chance to sing, dance, move and perform in classes and, in the process, develop a sense of pride in accomplishment, according to organizer Susan Condrey.

Students of Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Studio D perform in a Spring Show in 2022.

(Joesan Diche)

“It’s not just something to do — it’s so much more than that,” she said of the curriculum offered to both paying students and those able to attend through scholarships. “It just allows people to be the best they can be or to do something they never thought of before.”

Condrey serves as chairwoman for the Guilds of the Center, the fundraising arm of the nonprofit, as well as the guild’s Sound of Music chapter, which directly supports Studio D and is hosting next Friday’s concert.

She said Barber performed at a similar Studio D benefit concert in 2022 and enchanted audiences with her cabaret-style performance of her one-woman show,“Thank You for the Music.”

Vocalist, cabaret artist and disability advocate Marleena Barber

(Courtesy of Segerstom Center for the Arts)

“A lot of people attended and said, she’s so great, when is she coming back?,” Condrey recalled Thursday. “She sings and speaks about how music changed her life, helped her combat bullying and grew her to be the confident woman she is today.”

A resident of Anaheim, Barber began her singing career at the age of 12, singing solo in a recorded children’s chorus and singing TV jingles before enrolling in Whittier College, where she earned a degree in music performance, and later performing in a cover band Ray and the Idols.

Even as she performed in numerous theatrical and musical productions in the years that followed, Barber continued to foster connections with people of all abilities, directing a choir of blind and visually impaired students at Los Angeles’ Braille Institute for 11 years and serving as a disability advocate.

Today, Barber is the executive director of the Orange County Arts and Disability, a nonprofit that provides arts, education and cultural opportunities for, by and with people with disabilities.

Students of Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Studio D on stage at the Judy Morr Theater in 2022.

(Courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

In “Thank You for the Music,” Barber tells the story of her life, struggles and accomplishments through spoken word and song, encouraging audiences to live their dreams despite the challenges they face.

The Sept. 8 benefit concert will feature a live performance by Studio D students and a raffle and silent auction with tickets to see Gwen Stefani at the Honda Center on Sept. 9, a 14-ticket and suite package for the Jonas Brothers on Oct. 29 and admission to an Oct. 7 P!nk live in concert with Brandi Carlile at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, among others.

Admission costs $100 to $150 and includes a 6:30 p.m. reception with wine and light bites and a post-performance meet-and-greet with the cast. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For tickets, visit scfta.org/events/2023/a-million-dreams.