Supporter Spotlight: Northwestern Mutual

This spring marked the long-awaited world premiere of THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL, commissioned by Northwestern Mutual, written by James DeVita and based on the true story of Alexandra “Alex” Scott—about her life and her legacy, her humor and her heart.

Shortly before her first birthday, Alex was diagnosed with a type of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. When she was just four-years old, she started a simple lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research. From there, Alex’s lemonade stand snowballed into an annual event, a media frenzy, country-wide support, and a goal to raise $1 million—a goal Alex met before she passed away at the tender age of eight. Her legacy lives on in the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation—which is one of today’s leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada raising more than $200 million so far, funding more than 1,000 research projects and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer.

 

It was clear that Alex’s story needed to be told on stage to inspire and remind young audiences that a single person can change the world—one act, or even one cup, at a time.

 

THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL’s development began back in 2016. After years of writing, revising and gathering feedback from public readings of the play as well as from Alex’s parents, Liz and Jay Scott, the play was set to open on April 24, 2020 but was postponed by the pandemic. As the playwright wisely shared in 2020, “Alex’s story will be told at a time when perhaps we will need it even more than we do now. When we all get on the other side of this, there will be much want in the world, much hurt and loss, and we will need Alex’s example more than ever.”

 

He was right. Alex’s legacy was shared at a time when audiences needed her example of kindness, determination, and empathy even more.

 

Our young audiences shared the following feedback after attending THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL:

 

“My favorite part was when Alex said that each cup of lemonade is a step closer to the medicine needed to cure her from cancer.”

 

“The lesson was that even if you are struggling in life, there is always a way to help others and yourself. Alex taught me to never give up on anything.”

 

“What I learned was to never be jealous and just remember how much your parents love you. Be grateful for what you have. Alex was brave, strong, and thoughtful. She thought about others before herself. She even raised a lot of money for other kids who were sick and for kids who had other sicknesses or cancer just like her. It is always better to have a friend to keep you company because it can give you and the other person lots of joy when you are going through a lot. They can cheer you up and make you feel better.”

 

“The lesson of this story is to never give up on your dreams.”

 

 “It taught me to always be brave and nice to other people in your life.”

 

“Alex showed me that when something goes bad, you can make it good and you can do what you set your mind to.”

 

“I learned about helpfulness and determination in the play.”

 

“[Alex] tried so hard and she did not say ‘I will quit.’ She said ‘I will do my best!’”

 

Thank you, Northwestern Mutual, for making these learning and empathy-making moments possible through theater and for helping First Stage honor Alex through telling her story on stage.

 

For nearly a decade, Northwestern Mutual has been committed to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer while supporting families undergoing treatment and survivors struggling with late effects of treatment. With only 4% of national funding for cancer being directed toward pediatric cancer, it is clear that increased funding is key to creating better outcomes for children fighting this horrible disease. Through an exclusive partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Northwestern Mutual has funded more than 500,000 hours of pediatric cancer research.