Jeanne Averill, right, and Trish Averill Neuteboom and Rick Averill, on piano, perform at the Foundation Follies on Friday night at Liberty Hall.

If only Lawrence public school students knew what their teachers were doing Friday night.

“I think they would get a different view of us,” said Jenny Ziskal, third-grade teacher at Langston Hughes School. “When I was younger I was shocked to see teachers outside of school.”

Shocked the students might well have been by the range of talent displayed at Liberty Hall during the 18th annual Foundation Follies talent show.

“It’s so amazing,” Ziskal said of the show, her first. She performed a skit with several other teachers based on the “American Idol” series. “I feel so fortunate to be in this town and this type of setting that supports its teachers.”

Every year, Lawrence teachers and staff take over Liberty Hall’s stage to show their extracurricular talents. For example, two Free State High School teachers, David Ludwick and David Reber, impressed the crowd with a cover of a KISS song, complete with white and black makeup.

“I think the best thing about this is the fact that teachers feel celebrated,” said Susan Esau, executive director of Lawrence Education Achievement Partners. “This is their chance to have a good time, perform and to bring in businesses in the community to see not only do our teachers teach,” but they have other talents as well.

The show, presented by Lawrence Education Achievement Partners and the Lawrence Schools Foundation, raises money for the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Nearly $30,000 was raised Friday from the sold-out show of about 550 people. Business partners included U.S. Bank, Treanor Architects and Aquila.

Andrew Pitts, of Treanor Architects, said it was fun to see “administration and staff let their hair down” and have a good time.

Every year Pitts is especially impressed by the vocal talent of Jim Immel, an early-childhood teacher at East Heights Early Childhood Family Center. This year Immel sang “Not While I’m Around,” a song from the “Sweeney Todd” musical.

Betty Norwood, language arts and social studies teacher at South Junior High School, and Lois Orth-Lopes, autism and music therapist at Cordley School, received Educator of the Year awards from the Lawrence Schools Foundation.