Widely known for her Tony-awarding winning talent, Cady Huffman brought her theatrical New York Broadway presence to San Francisco last month when her new show Tom Boy, Show Girl premiered at Feinstein's at the Nikko.
The Santa Barbara native grew up in Community Theater and has starred in both television and film, but this particular performance was unlike all the rest. Cady says, “The show is about how I don’t feel like I am the same person on the outside as I am on the inside. I’m a tomboy at heart.” She continues, “It definitely has a lot of humor, but it’s also about love, relationships, and the struggle we all have of not feeling understood.”
Deeply identifying with Project Open Hand’s mission on numerous levels, Cady wanted a closer look at our programs while she was visiting the Bay Area. Hours before her performance, she stopped by Project Open Hand for a tour of the kitchen and grocery center.
Cady explained, “I was on food stamps as a kid. As a single mother, my mom had three small children to feed. While we went through some years of not having enough food, she remained incredibly strong and provided for us everything we needed. It definitely made me appreciate the access I have now to whole, nutritious food.”
Cady also admired Project Open Hand origins and expressed her appreciation for Ruth Brinker, who founded the organization in 1985 when she began seeing her friends suffer from AIDS. That same year, Cady was living in LA and she too, began to lose friends and coworkers to AIDS. She says, “I watched my friends suffer, and what’s worse is I watched them suffer in the dark because of the shame and stigma attached to the disease.”
She added, “People need to have a better understanding of the disease. Some just think, ‘oh, you can live with HIV but the thing is, you don’t want to have to live with it.”
Cady now lives in New York, and is a strong advocate for several organizations including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, CANY.org, and more. She is part of two cooking groups; one with a concentration on Italian cuisine and the other on vegetarian options. Cady adds, “The Italian cooking group started with four Italian friends who just loved to cook. Cooking together brings you close to people and helps you be healthy. Too many people get away from that--the joy of cooking healthy food.”
And the Project Open Hand kitchen staff couldn’t agree more. We’re so grateful to have the support of such an inspirational, and remarkably talented figure. Thank you for your collaboration, Cady! We look forward to your partnership again.