andrea mcardle palm springs

A Celebration of Broadway

Andrea McArdle, who stole our hearts as a child in Annie, will headline a special AAP - Food Samaritans kickoff to preview its signature 2022 event.

Staff Report Arts & Entertainment, Current Digital

andrea mcardle palm springs

Andrea McArdle will bring her Broadway talent to the AAP-Food Samaritans' kickoff celebration on Oct. 7 in Palm Springs.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY AAP - FOOD SAMARITANS

Food Samaritans (AAP) will begin its 2021-2022 season with a kickoff celebration at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 featuring the Broadway talents of Andrea McArdle at a private location in Palm Springs (address provided upon RSVP).

There is no admission fee to attend, but attendance at the event signifies an intention to join the Jeannette Rockefeller Angel Program or purchase tickets to Evening Under the Stars set for April 30, 2022, or become a sponsor of Evening Under the Stars. An RSVP is required by Oct. 4, and you can call 760-325-8481 to RSVP.

Guests at the kickoff celebration will enjoy luscious cocktails, abundant delectable hors d’oeuvres, and a special performance by McArdle. Valet parking will be provided.

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Andrea McArdle wowed audience early in her life in the Broadway musical Annie.

McArdle first captured the hearts of theatergoers everywhere in 1977 when she originated the title role in the mega-musical Annie, based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” Since then, she has starred in several Broadway musicals and appeared in theatres nationally, and internationally.

She has honed her craft by working with some of the great legends of the entertainment industry such as Ethel Merman, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Bob Hope, Liberace, Frank Sinatra, Steve Martin, and Martin Short, to name a few, and was privileged to have appeared on television with Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore. McArdle’s performance has been underwritten by Joseph Johnson and Thomas Andrika.

On display at the event will be a seating chart for AAP’s 27th annual Evening Under the Stars gala in April 2022 presented by Eisenhower Health. Attendees may select their seats from those available before anyone else.

Evening Under the Stars has grown to become one of the premier events in the Coachella Valley’s fundraising/social season with an audience of up to 1,500 attendees. Over the past 27 years since Evening Under the Stars began, it has not only raised funds and increased awareness of AAP’s mission, it has also featured many significant and world-renowned performers.

Early galas were intimate affairs at private estates in Palm Springs, but over time this evening of entertainment generated such an overwhelming demand for tickets that the event is now held on the spacious grounds of the O’Donnell Golf Club in downtown Palm Springs.

A wide variety of fabulous and famous performers have enchanted the audience, often bringing them to their feet dancing. The Evening Under the Stars stage has featured Gladys Knight, Lily Tomlin & the cast of Laugh In, Cyndi Lauper, Mary Wilson, Pink Martini, The Go-Go’s, Barry Manilow, Bea Arthur, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the iconic Village People, among others.The event also brought back the music of ABBA and assembled the First Ladies of Disco.

The headline entertainment for 2022 will be announced at the kickoff celebration. Tickets for the gala will go on sale at the kickoff celebration and begin at $395. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $7,500 for corporate or individual packages. Benefits include tickets to the event, recognition on-screen and in a printed program at the event, and may also include logo placement in advertising, printed materials, and more.

The Jeannette Rockefeller Angel Program honors the organization’s founding mothers – Jeannette Rockefeller, Gloria Greene, and Joanna Jakway – and supports its ongoing mission to help feed low-income people with chronic illnesses. Since its inception, AAP has distributed more than $13 million in direct client service to more than 2,750 clients. AAP’s clients get by on an annual income of less than $18,735. There are many benefits that accompany each level of giving in the Jeannette Rockefeller Angel Program, including tickets to AAP’s ‘Evening Under the Stars’ event.

AAP will continue to monitor health advisories and will comply with all the current measures, regulations, and mandates set forth by the City of Palm Springs and the County of Riverside. This may or may not include requiring masks and/or social distancing required to limit the spread of COVID-19. If safety measures change, all guests who have RSVPd will be notified via email. If applicable, city mandates requiring proof of vaccine or a negative test prior to entry will be observed.

Visit aapfoodsamaritans.org.

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