Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

‘Mondays Dark,’ Mark Shunock’s charity juggernaut, to spotlight 24 charities

‘Mondays Dark’ Debuts at Body English

Denise Truscello/WireImage/DeniseTruscello.net

Mark Shunock’s debut “Mondays Dark” benefiting Opportunity Village on Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, in Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas.

‘Mondays Dark’ Debuts at Body English

Mark Shunock’s debut “Mondays Dark” benefiting Opportunity Village on Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, in Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas.
Launch slideshow »

‘Mondays Dark’ Benefits AFAN

Members of Chippendales at the Rio perform during “Mondays Dark” with Mark Shunock, a monthly charitable event, at Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel on Monday, Dec. 16, 2103. Proceeds from the event benefited Aid for AIDS of Nevada. Launch slideshow »

‘Mondays Dark’ Benefits Nevada SPCA

Mark Shunock arrives at his “Mondays Dark,” benefiting Nevada SPCA, at Vinyl on Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Launch slideshow »

‘Mondays Dark’ Benefits St. Therese Center/HIV Outreach

Anthony Cools and Mark Shunock perform during Shunock’s “Mondays Dark,” benefiting St. Therese Center/HIV Outreach, at Vinyl on Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

It seems ages ago when Mark Shunock was planning his first “Mondays Dark” charity event. At the time, he had booked a club called the Act at Palazzo for that debut in November 2013.

A year later, Shunock’s charity act has long outlasted the nightclub of that name, which closed just weeks before “Mondays Dark” was to launch.

Surviving an inauspicious start in which he scrambled to find a suitable venue for his monthly philanthropic shows, Shunock is celebrating the first year of “Mondays Dark” on Dec. 15 with his largest show yet.

Set for 7 p.m. at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel, the “Mondays Dark” first-anniversary show will benefit the 13 Las Vegas-based charities that were featured throughout the series’ first year.

Shunock also plans to announce the 11 charities he plans to invite to “Mondays Dark” through 2015, meaning that a total of 24 charities will be represented in that single night at the Joint.

Tickets for all “Mondays Dark” shows are $20 in advance, $30 at the door and available at MondaysDark.com or by calling (702) 485-1262.

The format will be styled after award shows, with a Las Vegas or visiting celeb announcing a charity from the previous year, introducing a rep from that charity, followed by a performance. Shunock has been busy lining up acts and presenters for that show, which is easily the largest in the yearlong history of “Mondays Dark.”

“It is a time-consuming process, but ‘Mondays Dark’ has gotten to the point where I am being asked by people who want to perform and take part,” Shunock said this morning during a phone conversation. When asked where he finds the time, he said, “I have no idea.”

Those who will take part in the Dec. 15 show are representatives from AFAN: Aid for AIDS of Nevada, The Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation, The Healing Curve, His Love Street Nevada, The Miracle League, NF Network, NSPCA, Opportunity Village, The Rudy Foundation, Safe House, Saint Therese Center, SHINE and Vegas Shepherd Rescue. Proceeds from all ticket sales for this event will be split evenly among the charities.

The lineup of acts and a theme, if there is to be one, are yet to be announced. But Shunock has succeeded in staging impressively casted shows since “Mondays Dark” debuted at Body English a year ago after. The show has since moved into nearby Vinyl. Cast members of Shunock’s own “Rock of Ages” at the Venetian, in which he plays Lonnie; “Million Dollar Quartet” at Harrah’s; “Raiding the Rock Vault,” now at Tropicana; “Jersey Boys” at Paris Las Vegas; “Pin Up” at Stratosphere; “Vegas! The Show” at Planet Hollywood; and “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace have performed during the show’s run. Headliners including Clint Holmes and Earl Turner also joined “Mondays Dark.”

For the Nov. 17 show, set for 9:30 p.m. (doors at 8:30), Shunock has booked Lorena Peril of “Vegas! The Show,” Adrian Zmed, long of “Grease” on Broadway and on tour and “Grease 2” in film; Red Rock, Tuscany, Sunset Station and Fremont Street faves Zowie Bowie; “American Idol” finalist Amanda Avila; and Las Vegas jazz great Michelle Johnson.

That show is themed “One-Hit Wonders,” but that can’t be said of “Mondays Dark.” This show is a veritable hit parade.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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