Arden Theatre Presents CABARET Benefit Performance for Hurricane-Torn Houston Arts Community

Arden Theatre Company, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, presents a benefit, pay-what-you-can performance on Wednesday, September 20 at 8 p.m., of the Tony Award-winning musical CABARET. Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Harvey Arts Recovery Fund for distribution to needy artists and arts organizations in Houston that suffered damage during Hurricane Harvey. Arden Theatre Company is located in Old City, Philadelphia, at 40 N. 2nd Street.

"Our hearts are with the many arts organization in Houston as they recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. I know that the Alley Theatre in Houston only recently completed a $46 Million renovation and many of their employees have been deeply affected by this as well. We want the entire Houston arts community to know that Philadelphia and the Arden care about them."

Michael Norris, Vice President of External Relations for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance says, "We are thrilled that the Arden came to us with this initiative. It once again proves how the arts can bring people together in both times of joy and sorrow."

June O'Neill, former Executive Director for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and now Interim Director of Advancement for the Houston Arts Alliance says, "I am touched by the outpouring of support Houston has received from around the country, particularly this fund-raiser by the cultural community in Philadelphia. Many thanks to the fabulous people at Arden and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for their support."

CABARET is based on the book by Joe Masteroff and the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. In CABARET, the Kit Kat Club is the hottest nightspot in 1929's seedy and sinful Berlin. American writer Cliff Bradshaw travels to Germany in search of inspiration and pleasure, and finds both in nightclub performer Sally Bowles. However, outside the club's doors, the Nazis' impending rise to power threatens to splinter their decadent lifestyle. Featuring one of Broadway's most memorable scores, CABARET is the winner of 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography for the original 1967 Broadway Production, and Best Revival of a Musical in for the 1998 production.

The Pay-What-You-Can performance is the Arden's final dress rehearsal before CABARET opens to a paying audience. In lieu of buying tickets, attendees will be asked to make a donation and all proceeds will be donated to the Houston Arts Alliance for distribution to Houston arts organizations.

For more information on damage suffered by arts organization in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, visit here.

To make a donation directly to the Houston Arts hurricane relief efforts, visit www.harveyartsrecovery.org.

Founded in 1988, Arden Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers-on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. Five productions are staged each season as part of the Mainstage series and two productions through Arden Children's Theatre, the city's first resident professional children's theatre program. New work is produced through the Independence Foundation New Play Showcase. The Arden's Education Department includes: Arden for All (AFA), a theatre access and education program for underserved young people; Arden Drama School, the after-school, Saturday, and summer camp classes for students in grades pre-K-12; Teen Arden, an immersive after-school access program for Philadelphia-area based teenagers; and the Arden Professional Apprentice Program, a nationally renowned comprehensive theatre management training program. The Hamilton Family Arts Center is the new facility dedicated to education programs and new play development.

The Arden has received numerous honors including 65 awards and 373 nominations from the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The Arden is a winner of four "Theatre Company of the Year" designations (Philadelphia Inquirer), six Philadelphia Magazine "Best of Philly" awards and three "Best of Philly Kids" awards, the City Paper's Reader's Choice Award and the prestigious "Great Friend to Kids Award" from the Please Touch Museum for Arden Children's Theatre work. For accessibility efforts, the Arden was named a "Keystone of Accessibility" by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Arden Theatre Company is a professional, nonprofit 501(c)(3) theatre company and a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the League of Resident Theatres, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Old City Arts Association. The Arden also participates in The Barrymore Awards, a program of Theatre Philadelphia.

Pictured: John Jarboe and Charissa Hogeland. Photo by Ashley LaBonde, Wide Eyed Studios.