For some reason, these events go together: today’s the 71st Anniversary of The Wizard of OZ and on Sunday, August 15th, at 7:30 PM PDT at The Herbst Theater in San Francisco, REAF, The Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation holds its 16th annual presentation of “Help Is On The Way” called Help Is On The Way XVI.

It’s hard to believe The Wizard of OZ is a full 71 years young. In fact, it seems timeless. Music and songs from The Wizard of OZ are etched into my brain, in part because one of my favorite songs to sing at The Alley in Oakland, is If I Only Had A Brain.

But it is 71 years yound, so it’s important to stop and consider the impact this awesome musical movie has had on American Culture. It has been translated in 40 languages, and been the basis for scores of reinterpretations, including the popular musical, The Wiz.

Which reminds this blogger why the link with Help Is On The Way XVI was made in my pea brain!

Over it history, REAF’s Help Is On The Way has featured performers from plays, movies, and musicals like The Wiz.

This year Leanne Borghesi, Carol Channing, Davis Gaines, La Toya London, Carole Cook, James Darren, Paula West, Bruce Vilanch, Kimberley Locke, and Melissa Manchester headline the performers as of this writing. And that list expands as we get closer to Sunday. You can get tickets for Help Is On The Way XVI at 415-273-1620.

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The post Bruce Vilanch, The Wizard of Oz, Help Is On The Way, Oh My! first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Bay Area Reporter
The show must go on!
On the Town
Published 07/22/2010
by Donna Sachet

Last Monday’s Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation’s cabaret show featured the touring casts of Wicked and Young Frankenstein, joined by Hollywood funnyman Bruce Vilanch and sensational vocalist Sharon McNight, in the home of Beach Blanket Babylon, Club Fugazi.

These one-night-only events are a rare opportunity to hear these Broadway voices singing music of their own choosing, not from their touring hit shows, while raising needed funds for AIDS-related service organizations. The participants deserve kudos for giving up their one night off to participate in a show of this kind. In addition to some remarkable singing, we were treated to several moving dance numbers and lots of humor along the way.

Juanita Ramirez ‘s psychic reading had the crowd in stitches, especially when she struggled to see the future of REAF’s own Gary Thackeray. Vilanch proved the perfect emcee, often seeming to shock the audience with his no-holds-barred comedy and celebrity skewering.

The highlight of the evening, however, was McNight as she compressed the first half-hour of The Wizard of Oz into a side-splitting 7-minute musical medley, complete with startling character impersonations. Seen in the audience and at the reception afterwards were Larry Horowitz, Don Berger , Richard Sablatura , Beth Schnitzer , Patrik Gallineaux , Sister Dana, and Lawrence Helman.

The post Club Fugazi: “Vilanch proved the perfect emcee…” first appeared on We Got Bruce!.