Theatrecares, a charity which distributes funds to HIV and AIDS projects in the UK and Africa, has lined up several fund-raising events in the West End in the coming months. A one-off midnight matinee of Dirty Dancing will be held on 13 August, while in September a gaggle of West End stars will perform at Trafalgar Studios in three Late Night Cabarets for the charity.
Georgina Rich, Josef Brown and the rest of the cast of Dirty Dancing, the popular musical at the Aldwych based on the hit film of the same name, are donating their time and talents to an extra performance of the show on 13 August at 23:30. The cast, crew and theatre staff are providing this extra performance for free, and all ticket revenue will be donated to Theatrecares.
Written by Eleanor Bergstein, script-writer and co-producer of the 1987 film, Dirty Dancing tells the story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman and her life-changing affair with dance instructor Johnny Castle at Kellerman’s holiday camp in the 1960s. The show features a soundtrack including the numbers Do You Love Me?, Hungry Eyes and (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.
In the autumn, Theatrecares has lined up three exclusive Late Night Cabarets at Trafalgar Studios. The first, on 6 September, is entitled When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It! and features a host of West End stars performing gender-swapping show tunes. Among those joining in the fun are Daniel Boys (contestant on BBC TV’s Any Dream Will Do), Kerry Ellis and Dianne Pilkington from Wicked, David Bedella (Jerry Springer: The Opera, Rocky Horror Show), Susie McKenna (Chicago), Kim Medcalf from Cabaret, John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables), Summer Strallen (The Drowsy Chaperone) and members of the cast of Avenue Q.
On 20 September, the West End cast of Disney’s The Lion King, regular contributor to Theatrecares’ events, comes to Trafalgar Studios for the second of the Late Night Cabarets, while on 1 October the company members of Mary Poppins bring their very own cabaret evening to the venue.
Late Night Cabarets have been a mainstay of Theatrecares’ events for several years. The charity’s chairman, David Pendlebury, said: “We hope that out Late Night Cabarets will once again become a fixture in the London theatre calendar. In the past, performers have put on some exciting and extraordinary shows. You can bet these upcoming cabarets will be no exception.”
Tickets for the Dirty Dancing midnight matinee can be purchased online by clicking here.
Tickets for the Late Night Cabarets are available from the Trafalgar Studios box office on 0870 060 6632.
CB