Cirque du Soleil Draws a Star-Studded Turnout in Las Vegas at 4th Annual One-Night Benefit

On Friday, March 18, some of the biggest names in entertainment came out to support One Night for One Drop imagined by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, joining GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Leona Lewis and TV star Miles "Baby Boogaloo" Brown as they raised funds and awareness for critical water issues worldwide. Presented by MGM Resorts International, McLaren Automotive and Zappos.com, the star-studded benefit generated $6.5 million for ONE DROP's global water initiatives, with all proceeds supporting water access and conservation programs across the globe.

The dazzling, one-night-only experience reflected the personal story of artistic director Hassan El Hajjami, who realized the importance of water after traveling with his grandmother every day to retrieve it. Inspired by their struggle, the performance was held for the first time at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts where more than 100 Cirque du Soleil artists came together to support the cause. Lewis captivated the audience with an unforgettable, extremely powerful rendition of her smash hit single "Bleeding Love," concluding the show with a standing ovation as she performed one of her latest chart-topping hits "Thunder."

Notable names in attendance for One Night for One Drop included GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Leona Lewis; TV stars Miles "Baby Boogaloo" Brown and Marsai Martin from ABC's Blackish; former star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta NeNe Leakes; GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield; Michael Jackson's long-time, Emmy-nominated choreographer Travis Payne; world-famous illusionist Criss Angel; TV star Katherine Bailess from VH1's Hit the Floor; world-famous dance crew JABBAWOCKEEZ; world-famous magician and winner of the ninth season of America's Got Talent Mat Franco; world-famous model Constance Jablonski; co-host of The Real and fashion correspondent for NBC's Today show Jeannie Mai; TV personality Jaymes Vaughan; Las Vegas headliner Frankie Moreno; star on CNBC's Money Talks Steve Stevens and fiancée Kelly Tuttle; reality TV star Angelique "Frenchy" Morgan; cast members of ROCK OF AGES; cast members of JERSEY BOYS; cast members of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET; cast members of ABSINTHE; Mayor of Las Vegas Carolyn Goodman and her husband Oscar Goodman; the FANTASY girls at Luxor; renowned Las Vegas headliner Zowie Bowie; renowned actress, producer and creator of the hit YouTube page "The Southern Women Channel" Julia Fowler; President of Cirque du Soleil Daniel Lamarre; Chairman of the Board at Cirque du Soleil Mitch Garber; world-famous poker player Daniel Negreanu; Bree "DJ 88" DeLano; FINA gold medalists and synchronized swimmers in "O" by Cirque du Soleil Christina Jones and Bill May; Olympic gold medalists Esther Lofgren and Susan Francia; contemporary artist Robin Slonina and renowned dancers from the Nevada Ballet Theater Alissa Dale, Joshua Kekoa, Krista Baker and Jordan Mendoza.

Throughout the evening, guests savored unlimited cocktails and hors d'oeuvres provided by world-famous chefs Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla and renowned restaurants Wolfgang Puck, Milos, STK, PBR Rock Bar, Border Grill, Ethel M, HEXX, Spin Spun, Espresso Amore and more. Following the performance, VIP guests continued the festivities at an exclusive after-party, where they enjoyed an eclectic mix of world-class entertainment including a special performance by GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield.

For additional information about ONE DROP including the annual star-studded gala One Night for One Drop, please visit www.onedrop.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.