Shining Bright: Light The Night 2012 is here

An all star cast are currently in sound checks for the 8th annual Light The Night benefit concert and a few tickets are still remaining to see members of the Australian theatre community come together in the name of Leukaemia research.

Light The Night 2012From 7:30pm tonight, Sydney’s City Recital Hall at Angel Place will come alive with some of the country’s brightest music and theatre stars, all giving up their time to raise funds and awareness for the The Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation – targeting a cure for leukaemia.

Established in 2005, Light The Night is lovingly organised and produced by performers Adam and Shaun Rennie honouring their brother – Matthew Rennie – and his courageous fight with Leukaemia. Together with Monica and Greg Smith, they have developed the concert into an event which is highly anticipated and very well patronised year after year.

“This is obviously a celebration of the inspiration of Matt, but it’s also about making the public aware that they can actually make a difference”, said co-founder Adam Rennie.

“LTN 2012 is coming along well and tonight is going to be a really great night. We have got some really fantastic and interesting acts this year, and we are very excited about the eighth concert!”, he said.

This year, Light The Night will celebrate an important milestone in their support for Leukaemia research.

“By the end of tonight, we will have raised over $300,000 for the Arrow Foundation”, Rennie explained with pride.

Every dollar raised by Light The Night is given to the Arrow Foundation and this year it will go directly to a special Light The Night Research Grant, which Rennie says is incredibly exciting.

“Everything we raise goes directly to research, nothing goes to administration or staff costs. It all goes towards finding new treatment options and new strategies for cancer treatment and eventually, looking for a cure.”

Light The Night 2012 (#LTN12) includes will feature Emma Pask, Michael Falzon, David Harris, Rob Mills, TJ Power and Kathy Sgroi, Elise McCann, Tim Draxl, Bobby Fox and more. Twenty one separate items are on the program, along with speeches and a raffle to boot and every artist, stage manager, sound/lighting operator and photographer give up their time for this wonderful cause.

“By just showing up, everyone is making a difference. At some point in the not-too-distant future, other families won’t have to go through the heart break that so many people have experienced from this horrible disease”, he said.

“One thing we can take out of such an awful situation is that something really beautiful and positive has grown and we are always incredibly thankful and humbled by all the support that is shown by the theatre community and the community of Sydney.”

Light The Night’s motto is “always look on the bright side of life” and the company traditionally sing Monty Python’s famous number at the end of each concert with a special nod to their inspiration, Matthew Rennie.
So, if you are in Sydney this evening then do yourself a favour and book a ticket to Light The Night 2012. If you can’t find it, look for the glow at City Recital Hall, Angel Place – everyone in that building will be shining bright this evening… go on, join them!
For tickets, donations and information visit lightthenight.com.au

As a proud supporter of the event, AussieTheatre will be at the City Recital Hall in force this evening, heading backstage to chat with the performers.

Follow us @AussieTheatre and use the hash tag #LTN12 when you tweet! 

 

 

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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