Event Production
“Carly Ozard is making her voice heard ... and those of other artists in whom she places a lot of belief ... Ozard, a staunch activist with many causes, decided that she neither could nor would stand idly by as the artists of color who command her respect should be rendered invisible on the stages of the world, and she determined to do her part as an ally, a supporter, a friend.”
Carly Ozard developed a love for philanthropy after seeing the aftershocks of the AIDS epidemic that hung high over the Castro as recently as the early 2000s. They saw the struggles while cantoring at Most Holy Redeemer Church, and when they lost multiple friends to AIDS-related circumstances, they became determined to help whenever possible. They began with two concerts in SF, benefiting Under One Roof, a store benefiting the HIV/AIDS community, and right before moving to New York, they produced Accentuate the Pawsitive at the DNA Lounge, benefiting Pets Are Wonderful Support. Their first New York Benefit was for Callen-Lorde (https://callen-lorde.org/), a clinic in Manhattan that's been transforming Lgbtq + lives since 1983! Love Don't Need A Reason included an all-star cast of Broadway, Nightclub and Drag stars, with appearances by Broadway Composers John Bucchino and David Friedman.
Always up for a challenge, Carly produced a singer-songwriter event at local East Village Dog Cafe, Boris and Horton. Carly became a member of The Friars Club, and proudly presented an evening checking off many boxes of "Firsts" for the club. The Weimar Speakeasy was held in the Barbara Streisand Room, and featured the first Drag Headliner, Ruby Powers, as well as the first Trans singer Felix Graham and the first Trans musical director Anessa Marie.
The show boasted original work by Queer San Francisco Cockette Scrumbly Koldewyn, and featured multi-award-winning Jazz and Musical Theater Vocalists.
When the tragedy of George Floyd happened during the pandemic, Carly went back to the drawing board, creating All The Colors, a virtual awareness concert promoting the talents of POC, and interviews with POC about their experiences in theater and performing. It starred musical theater performers from all over the country.
For local theater company 42nd St. Moon, Carly returned with Broadway Composer John Bucchino, producing a workshop for six singers to work with John on John's compositions. It was an amazing time, and Carly looks forward to producing more integrative events in the future with 42nd St. Moon, Oasis SF, The Castro Stitchery, and more.
Another pandemic project was with Bay Area Drag Artist Maria Konner and Musical Theater Actor and Songwriter Jessica Raaum Foster. Rock The Yard was a fun glow-in-the-dark outdoor concert with partial proceeds benefiting The Okra Project, (https://www.theokraproject.com/), a wonderful organization providing healthy meals to black trans folks.
Freddie Fest, an ode to Freddie Mercury on his birthday, was a celebration on the streets of the Castro. Featuring an incredible group of vocalists, the neighborhood jammed to Queen's tunes on a Gay Sunday in the Sun.