Four Corridor Theatres Reunite For A Second Virtual Cabaret Performance

This weekend, over 50 artists from four local theatre companies will come together for a second, brand-new "Virtual Cabaret" fundraising performance. Songs to Make You Smile: A Virtual Encore will premiere Saturday, May 23rd at 7:30 PM on YouTube and will feature performances by actors and singers from Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, Old Creamery Theatre, Riverside Theatre and Theatre Cedar Rapids, as well as students from across southeastern Iowa who were a part of an online submission contest.

"We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support for our first Virtual Cabaret. I think we are all looking for ways to feel connected, to be inspired, and to just have fun, and this collaborative project enables our audiences and artists to do just that," says Ashley Shields, Executive Director of Old Creamery Theatre, the organization spearheading this effort.

Viewers are invited to make a minimum donation of $5.00 with proceeds divided evenly among the participating theatres. The first event, held April 3, raised over $17,000 for the participating nonprofits. The second, May 23rd event has a $5,000 goal and will be broadcast as a Live Premiere on YouTube. The link to the performance will be emailed to donors and made available on social media and the Old Creamery Theatre website (www.oldcreamery.com) the day of the show.

The Corridor theatre community is facing incredibly challenging times. Organizations have had to shutter their doors, cancel significant programming, and continue to navigate uncertainty in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Ticket sales are an important source of revenue for these nonprofits that serve hundreds of thousands of patrons and students annually. Songs to Make You Smile provides an important source of bridge funding for these groups and provides a platform for local artists and musicians to reach a larger, collective audience.

For more information, please visit www.donorbox.org/encore.