PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Carolyn Cole of Not Sure Community performs at the Lynn Auditorium Friday.
BY LEAH DEARBORN
LYNN — The Lynn Auditorium was host Friday night to New Beginnings, a concert to benefit the Lynn Home for Young Women.
Located on Broad Street, the nonprofit organization provides affordable shelter at its Washington Square Residence.
The concert was a variety show that showcased the talent of a number of local acts.
First on the stage was Not Sure Community, a group of rotating members who shined during a soulful rendition of “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato. They finished with an energetic cover of Bruno Mars’ hit, “Uptown Funk.”
Dressed in a neat blazer, singer Jim Dennis followed with a sudden change of pace. In a clear baritone, he covered a medley of classics like “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”
The event was hosted by Bill McGuinness, a Lynn English High School teacher and a former stand-up comedian.
He shared humorous anecdotes about his students between acts, reading memorable incorrect test questions.
“What was the slogan of the French Revolution?” McGuinness asked the audience. One former student answered, “Shave it clean with a guillotine.”
Other featured acts included performances by members of Boston and Beatlejuice, a Beatles cover band.
The Dirty Floorboards, Don White, Carolyn Cole and the LPS Jazz Band also took the stage.
Lisa Connolly, the agency’s executive director, said she hoped the concert would help raise funds to aid the organization’s meals and scholarships program.
The Broad Street facility houses 43 occupants from ages 18 to 70 and come from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The Lynn Home For Young Women has been providing shelter to local women since 1912.