Out of the ashes of tragedy came hope: lifelong friends Barbara Richmond and Peggy Ermet both lost sons to AIDS. The grief-stricken moms were undaunted. They put their heads together and formed the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. Today REAF hosts a variety of fundraising events not only to raise awareness, but also to raise funds for organizations that provide specific, hands-on services to people who live with AIDS. Peggy passed away in 1999, but Barbara, along with others, continues to carry the torch.
Alex Newell, the rising young actor who plays transgender character Unique on the mega-hit TV show Glee, is the youngest performer who'll appear onstage at Help Is On the Way, REAF's annual gala fundraiser, Aug. 18 at Palace of Fine Arts. Though Newell wasn't around for the 1980s peak of the AIDS epidemic, he's well aware of the disease and its continued impact. "If we don't find a cure, then it will affect you," Newell told the B.A.R. "It's great to be involved with Help Is On the Way because AIDS will affect you if you don't do things to stop it. I just did Broadway My Way [a Los Angeles AIDS fundraiser featuring stars of the Great White Way]. I love the theater and everything it stands for, so it means a lot to do this."
Beneficiaries for this year's gala are the AIDS Housing Alliance, which provides housing referrals, rental assistance and other services to people with AIDS; Project Open Hand, which runs an AIDS food bank and delivers meals to the home-bound; Aguilas, a Latino LGBT organization that offers, among other services, an AIDS Awareness Program; and the Shanti Project, the longtime support organization that's dedicated to enhancing quality of life for people with AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
Tony-winning Broadway star Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line ) is among the many stars who will be donating time and talents for these organizations. "Losing so many cherished friends to this disease for so many years has had an impact on my life," McKechnie explained to the B.A.R. "The sadness, the grief, the feelings of helplessness, the anger, and frustration have marked my life. It helps me to cope when I can find ways to rally and wage the war against it. I find great reward and strength to be with people, friends who work so hard behind the scenes and on stage, who gladly give their time and effort to help this cause."
This is not her first appearance at Help Is On the Way. "Many years ago I had the pleasure of doing the Gala in San Francisco," she recalled. "I remember how well the evening was received, and I think they did very well raising money. I had wonderful reunions with friends like Robert Morse, who was the star of How to Succeed, the first show that I danced in. It's difficult for me to say goodbye to good friends when a show ends, but we all get used to it, I guess. So when there in an opportunity to come together for such a wonderful and important cause that is meaningful to all of us, I am very grateful."
Jim Bailey as Judy Garland.
Photo: Courtesy REAF
"I'm helping humanity," said Jim Bailey, the legendary female impersonator who's well-known for his in-concert performances as Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and many of his other iconic idols. "There are certain things we must do. Because of my success, I choose to give back, it comes from my heart."
Bailey, who will be performing at Help Is On the Way, points out that he doesn't consider himself a drag queen. "I'm an actor who sings," he said. "When I'm on stage, I'm doing Judy, as if she were walking on stage, as though she's there. I'm doing her life with honesty, it's very detailed. Thank God I have the voice to do it."
Bailey was fortunate to become a personal friend of Garland's during the final years of her life. "I saw a woman who was sensitive, giving, and who defended herself," he recalled. "At the end she had truth in her. She was very kind when you got through all the celebrity stuff. She was down-to-earth, fun, and sad in some ways. I was very fortunate that I got to know Judy. I would love to have known her longer."
Garland was, of course, one of the first great gay icons. She befriended many gay men during her lifetime, so it seems appropriate that a close Garland friend who achieved fame by recreating her would appear to raise funds for AIDS, a disease that causes so much tragedy in the gay and LGBT communities.
These stars, and others, will be joined by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. For an evening of grand entertainment that will help to improve the lives of people with AIDS, join them all for Help Is On the Way on Sun., Aug. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
Tickets to Help Is On the Way: www.richmondermet.org.