Jess Godwin, recently signed to Razor&Tie as a writer, has spent the past year thanking the important people in her life through a series of DIY videos, stories, art pieces, and Chicago area service projects.
Each month, Godwin has dedicated a different chapter to a specific individual. This project will culminate in a live performance of every song at the Athenaeum Theatre Friday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m., www.athenaeumtheatre.org.
Following the performance, there will be a silent art auction of Godwin’s pieces, with 50% of the proceeds going towards the various Chicago organizations Godwin has worked with over the course of the year: Lurie Children’s Hospital, Center on Halsted, Cradle Evanston, Gilda’s Corner, Habitat for Humanity, Sunrise Assisted Living, Harvest Vineyard, and the Youth Empowerment Performance Project.
As she approaches the final chapter, Godwin has recruited more than 100 artists from the Chicago theater and music scene and the Youth Empowerment Performance Project to collaborate on the final video in the series, “When the Snow Thaws,” which was released Nov. 19: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFfyM46AD20.
She was most recently seen on stage at the Chicago Theater performing a duet with Kristin Chenoweth, who is a recent fan of her music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb_4DdfQyBQ.
Godwin’s original,”Fool Me Once”, was licensed on the Lifetime show Dance Moms last season. Dance Moms stars Maddie Ziegler (of Sia’s “Chandelier”), Kendall Vertes, and Chloe Lukasiak all danced routines to “Fool Me Once” on the show, and Jess and Chloe collaborated on a piano/dance music video of the song in early 2015. This video recently surpassed one million views, and young women around the world continue to do their own covers of and dance routines to the song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=82SG2KIwNYU.
Godwin has been riding the fence between the Chicago theatre and music scenes for almost a decade. She was most recently seen as “Frances” in Northlight Theatre’s production of Shining Lives. In between performances and commercial demo work, Godwin teaches songwriting workshops out of her own private studio and music and theater at Columbia College and Northwestern Cherubs. www.godwinanthology.com
She recently performed at the out in the Open Sleep out benefit for 19 youth homeless projects in Chicago.
See www.godwinanthology.com.