Ms. Rita Abrams was honored on the evening of November 3rd 2012 at our annual benefit gala.  

You will remember Rita Abrams as the person (a teacher at the time) who wrote the song “Mill Valley.”  She recorded the song with the third grade class at Strawberry Elementary School.  It was a success across the country and brought Rita appearances on national television.

Rita Abrams

Rita has contributed much more to the Marin musical community.  Her career in writing music and lyrics included children's records and novelty songs, many in collaboration with Dr. Elmo , commercials and greeting cards. She won a national Emmy in 1980 for writing the music for “I Want It All Now,” a documentary about life in Marin County, a regional Emmy in 1992 for “Classic Stories for Children,” and three San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for her musical comedy collaborations.  In 1981 she published a book, “At Your Age Your Having a What? The Advantages of Middle-Aged Motherhood.”

She also created a Las Vegas musical revue based on the book “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus”  by John Gray  and a show about life in Marin County,  “For Whom The Bridge Tolls.”  "New Wrinkles," her "coming-of-middle-age" musical review, is produced regularly, and to great acclaim.  Her newest musical, “Pride and Prejudice,” is soon to premiere in London.

The award presentation also showcased musical comedy soloists Julie Ekoue-Totou and Joe Osborn as they perform two of Ms. Abrams' inimitable songs.