Imagine you’re on your honeymoon–young, healthy and a bit giddy with courage. You decide to leave the fetters of gravity behind for a brief moment and sail like the bird using a parasail. Thousands of people do it and you don’t need weeks of training, but something went terribly wrong one day in the Bahamas for newlyweds Victor and Crystal Rodriguez: she’s dead and he’s in a hospital learning to walk while under the crippling burden of growing medical debt. Worse, he has no insurance.
Even with insurance, such an injury would mean an incredible plunge into poverty, but the Pasadena Playhouse and some stage and TV celebrities will be performing a special one-night only benefit on 13 September 2011 (7:30 p.m.) to help Victor Rodriguez.
Rodriguez isn’t from Los Angeles, but one of his friends, Jenny Steffens attended the same high school (Natomas Charter School Performing & Fine Arts Academy) as Jonathan White, Pasadena Playhouse’s subscriptions manager. Steffens met Rodriguez after high school in a bit of” Six Degrees of Separation” (which was a play before it was a movie).
Learning of this connection inspired White to arrange this event with the generous sponsorship of the Pasadena Playhouse, using its cozy Carrie Hamilton theatre. White asked a friend and former college classmate (Emerson College), Jordan Kai Burnett to direct.
The Office’s Melora Hardin (Broadway’s Chicago), WINGS’ Steven Weber (Broadway’s The Producers) and That’s So Raven’s Anneliese van der Pol (Broadway’s Beauty & the Beast) will perform in CONCERT FOR VICTOR: A Benefit at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse. This one-night-only event will take place on Tuesday, September 13 at 7:30 PM. All proceeds go to the Rodriguez Family Care Fund.
The evening will also feature performances from Ava Gaudet (Broadway’s Rent), Charley Izabella King (Broadway’s The Producers), Leigh Ann Larkin (Broadway’s Gypsy & A Little Night Music) and others to be announced.
This concert will benefit 23-year-old Victor Rodriguez and his family. In June 2011, Sacramento newlyweds Victor and Crystal Rodriguez went parasailing on the last day of their honeymoon in the Bahamas. At a height of approximately 200 feet their harness snapped, and they fell into the ocean. Crystal was killed, and Victor suffered severe injuries. Neither of them had health or life insurance. They had only been married 12 days.
In a statement, The Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps said “It is always an honor to be able to provide space in our beautiful facility for worthy and important causes. The Playhouse stage is there for the creation of our art, yes…But it also exists to support important fundraising efforts as we have often done in the past, and do again with great pleasure for this valuable event.”
Tickets are $99 (plus a $4.00 ticketing fee) and includes admission to the post-show reception in The Playhouse’s VIP Lounge. All tickets are General Admission. Seating is limited to the intimate concert benefit.
All of the proceeds including the $4.00 per ticket fee (generously donated by Patron Manager) will go toward Victor’s medical & recovery expenses.
CFV: A Benefit will be directed by Jordan Kai Burnett, featuring accompaniment by Dr. James Lent. The evening is produced by Sacramento-area native Jonathan White.
In a statement, The Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps said “It is always an honor to be able to provide space in our beautiful facility for worthy and important causes. The Playhouse stage is there for the creation of our art, yes…But it also exists to support important fundraising efforts as we have often done in the past, and do again with great pleasure for this valuable event.”
Tickets for the benefit can be purchased by calling (626) 356-7529, by visiting www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org or in person at The Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena.
Complimentary parking will be available on a first-come first-served basis, courtesy of Easy Parking.
Additional donations will be accepted the night of the performance as cash or check only (made out to Rodriguez Family Care Fund).
Donations can also be sent via mail to:
R. W. Baird
300 University Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95825
Checks should be made payable to R. W. Baird; c/o Rodriguez Family Care Fund.
Age of the Geek 