‘Equity Kids’ Staging Cabaret AIDS Benefit : Family: Young actress Megan McGinnis calls on her show-biz pals to appear in a musical fund-raiser.

The original “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show” team, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, have a ‘90s counterpart in Megan McGinnis, a soulful-eyed teen-age beauty with a long list of stage, TV and film credits, including the current stage production of “The Trojan Women” at the CBS Studios Backlot.

When McGinnis, 16, decided to put on an AIDS benefit, she called her young show-biz pals, including 10-year-old Vanessa Lee Chester, who co-stars as Becky in “A Little Princess,” and Lindsey Haun, also 10, whose recent credits include “Village of the Damned.”

The result is “Equity Kids Fight AIDS,” a musical cabaret featuring a large cast of young people ages 8 to 18 in a varied program of selections from the “The Fantasticks” to “Miss Saigon,” at Tom Rolla’s Gardenia dinner club in Hollywood on Monday at 9 p.m.

“It’s turning out to be really fun,” McGinnis said. “I’m doing it because I don’t think a lot of people realize that AIDS affects kids too. There are kids my age who are having sex who are getting AIDS, kids who are getting transfusions and getting AIDS, and kids whose parents are getting AIDS.

“I’ve had friends die of AIDS already. I want to help. I went to all my friends who I knew sang or acted, and everyone said they were interested.”

Actor-musician David Holladay will provide piano accompaniment and KIIS-FM’s Chris Finch will emcee the event, which is patterned after Gardenia club owner Rolla’s frequent “Equity Fights AIDS” musical benefits featuring adult professionals. Proceeds go to the entertainment industry’s Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS foundation.

* “Equity Kids Fight AIDS,” Tom Rolla’s Gardenia, 7066 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Monday, 9 p.m. (doors open for dinner at 7 p.m.). (213) 467-7444. $8, plus two-drink minimum (minors welcome, but reservations necessary).

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Dancing Feet: African dance workshops for children and adults will begin July 11 at the Watts Towers Arts Center as part of “Community Bridge,” a series of free summer art classes.

In “African Dance From Cameroon,” dancer-choreographer Titus “Jimmy” Fotso will lead two high-energy workshops, limited to 25 students each, in traditional dances and songs from the West African nation. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be for ages 6 to 12; Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, will be for ages 12 to adult. Registration is on the first day of each class.

Artistic types can express themselves in other free classes offered, such as “Basic Drawing and Painting” for ages 7 to 12, “Advanced Drawing and Painting” for ages 10 to 17, “Poetry” for ages 10 to adult, “Ceramic Sculpture” for ages 6 to 12, “Mixed Media/Collage” for ages 7 to 12, “Parent/Child: The Magic of Making Art” for ages 3 to 5 and parents, “Ceramic Mosaic Mural” for ages 6 to 12 and “Comic Book” for ages 10 to 17.

* Watts Towers Arts Center, 1727 E. 107th St.; for schedules and other information: (213) 847-4646, (213) 485-1795.