Members of the touring cast of the Broadway musical Jersey Boys take to the stage in One Night Only at the Brava Theater on Monday, February 1. The boys will be belting out tunes in support of the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation starting at 7:30 p.m.
REAF was named after co-founders Barbara Richmond and Peggy Ermet. Lifelong friends (their mothers were friends before they were even born) Richmond and Ermet founded REAF after losing their sons to AIDS. Ken Henderson, executive director of REAF, reminded the B.A.R. that while AIDS was now often manageable, a cure for the disease has yet to be found.
"AIDS is still being transmitted, people continue to get infected, and if they don't have adequate private insurance, they must rely on local AIDS service agencies to keep them alive and healthy," Henderson said. "But they can only stay that way with the help and services provided by local AIDS service agencies."
Henderson added that the risks that come with HIV exposure continue to be formidable. "AIDS is still not something you want to live with if you can avoid it," he said. "It still destroys your immune system if you don't take the right medications, and those medications can still be toxic to the body. Many young people today think AIDS is yesterday's news, that it doesn't affect their generation, so they participate in unprotected sex."
Henderson shared news that three young friends of his, all in their 20s, had contracted HIV last year and were devastated by the news. "Their lives will never be the same again, or at least until such time as we do have a cure," he said. "There is a future waiting for you, you have the opportunity to live a long and meaningful life. Don't waste that opportunity."
To that end, the performances sponsored by REAF will raise critical funds that are then distributed to AIDS organizations. One Night Only with the Jersey Boys is the latest such venture.
Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, an iconic doo-wop band that rose out of New Jersey's blue-collar Italian-American community during the early 1960s.
"Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were one of the biggest singing groups of their time," Henderson explains. "They had a unique sound that took the country by storm. Their music is still popular today, and Jersey Boys is about their beginnings."
The award-winning musical is making its third stop in San Francisco, but alas, there will be no Frankie Valli songs heard at the Brava. So what will the Boys be doing?
"That will pretty much be a surprise, but I can say it will be pretty much a variety-show format, with some very creative numbers and some very fun comedy bits," said Henderson. "They're putting the numbers together before they even hit town so we don't know what they're doing until they get here. This is a chance for them to do something different from what they do every night in their touring show. Everyone gets a chance to shine, not just the leads of the show. These shows are entirely original and truly one-night-only experiences. You'll never see the exact same show anywhere else."
Henderson said that Jersey Boys' current touring cast was absolutely committed to supporting AIDS services.
Past "Jersey Boys" who have performed in REAF shows have included John Lloyd Young, who won a Tony Award for starring as Frankie Valli on Broadway, and who went on to star in the Jersey Boys film, as well as Eric Bergen, who performed for REAF in the first Jersey Boys tour in 2009. Bergen currently co-stars in the hit TV show Madam Secretary.
Though Lloyd and Bergen will not be able to appear at the Brava performance, most of the current Jersey Boys touring cast will be on hand.
50% of proceeds from One Night Only will go towards Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a New York-based service organization that offers help to those in the theater community whose lives are impacted by HIV. The other half of the evening's proceeds will be distributed among local AIDS services.
Henderson also said that many more REAF fundraisers were in the works, including a return engagement with openly gay country-music singing sensation Steve Grand. "There's a lot of fun events lined up throughout the year," he said. "All are designed to raise funds for the cause and give folks a great time in return."
One Night Only, featuring company members of the touring cast of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys, plays Mon., Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Brava Theater, 2781 24th St., SF. Tickets: helpisontheway.org.