Celebration!, the University’s theatre student outreach group, will hold its spring performance “Alabama Arts for AIDS” in Morgan Auditorium this Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. The show will feature a night of song and dance benefitting the AIDS Alabama outreach program.
The cost of the show is free, but donations are encouraged, as the proceeds will help the charity spread awareness and prevention of AIDS as well as perform projects and events in the future.
Celebration! is a student-led and organized group which holds one event each semester for charity. In the past, their performances have helped raise money for causes such as UNESCO Haiti Relief last spring and West Alabama Food Bank in the fall.
“This year, the group decided that working for local charities would produce the most impact,” said director of musical theatre Raphael Crystal, the Celebration! faculty advisor. “I think it’s great that our very talented students can put their abilities to use to help these causes, and this is very good training in how to put together such events and maximize their effectiveness.”
Laura Ballard is president of Celebration! and a senior majoring in musical theatre. She said that the group’s main goal in choosing this charity to support was to raise awareness for a disease that is more than just a global issue.
“It’s an issue that is affecting your neighbor, your classmate, your teacher, your waiter,” Ballard said. “And, seeing as we are a group stemming from the department of theatre and dance, we show our support by putting on an evening of arts.”
The show will include approximately ten acts, ranging from solos and duets to large groups. There will be song as well as dance numbers, including an original piece choreographed by dance major Joy Spears, which will feature three young girls from nearby schools.
“I think that any student that loves to be entertained by mainstream music, musical theatre and dance of all styles will definitely love this show,” said treasurer of Celebration! Drey Mitchell. “The best part of working on this project has been witnessing how willing students are to help for a good cause, despite the craziness of school. And since our group is performance-based, it has brought together a great group of performers united not only by talent but by the desire to want to give back.”
Students, faculty and members of the Tuscaloosa community are encouraged to come out and enjoy the performance while donating to a worthy cause.
“As performers, these students will hopefully do this all their lives, and often take administrative as well as artistic roles in such concerts,” Crystal said. “So they are getting started now, and learning how to do it right. The entertainment will be stellar, and AIDS Alabama is a very worthwhile and effective organization.”
If You Go
What: Alabama Arts for AIDS
Where: Morgan Auditorium
When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.
