Stars From Broadway and the Rogue Valley Come Out to Shine for Ukraine:
December 10 Fundraiser Will Raise Money for the Relief of Ashland’s Sister City.
Ashland, Oregon (November 19, 2023) – Broadway singing star Steffanie Garrard Leigh will be joined by Rogue Valley musicians and singers during a gala fundraiser to help rebuild and restore Ashland’s “sister city” Sviatohirsk held December 10, 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., at the Historic Ashland Armory.
Tickets are $20 and available at asap.booktix.com, at Paddington Station in downtown Ashland, or at the door. Group sales are also available by calling Jim Nagel, (541) 890-2567.
Ms. Leigh, a graduate of Ashland High School and former Rogue Valley resident, attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and musical theater.
In 2011, she starred as Mary Poppins in the Disney Broadway musical, receiving rave reviews and launching her into further roles on stage and in film. Her stage credits include Venus in Fur at the Singapore Repertory Theatre, Gods of Comedy at the Old Globe in London, and Passion at the Signature Theatre, a Tony Award-winning theater in Arlington, Virginia.
Passion is a one-act Stephen Sondheim musical, adapted from Ettore Scola’s 1981 film set in 19th-century Italy. Leigh won a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her portrayal of Clara in the musical.
Also performing that night will be:
• The Ashland Peace Choir with the Ashland High School Choir
• The Ukrainian Folk Troupe
• The Ukrainian Dancers
• Iryna Kudielina, award-winning concert pianist and student of Southern Oregon University professor Dr. Alexander Tutunov
• Kris Yenney, cellist, composer, and conductor.
There will also be brief reports from volunteers who have worked in relief roles in Ukraine and information about relief and recovery efforts sponsored by the Ashland-Sviatohirsk Aid Project (ASAP).
A silent and live auction will be held as part of the fundraising effort.
Admission includes appetizers and desserts, and an open, “no host” bar with beer and wine.
In 2022, more than 70 percent of Sviatohirsk was destroyed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which displaced the majority of the city’s population as well.
ASAP works to raise money from local U.S. sources to help Sviatohirsk residents rebuild their city and restore its livability during an on-going war. No municipal funds are spent in the effort. Money is raised from donations during fundraisers like the one December 10, among other volunteer efforts.
Some of the “big ticket” items that would be funded by ASAP include purchase of construction equipment such as boom truck and excavator to help restore power lines and remove trash.
Contact: Betsy Bishop (541) 840-6410
betsycrowebishop@gmail.com