Charity Event to Benefit 3 Groups

Evoking a scene from an old movie musical of friends gathered around a piano for an evening of merry song, residents of this gated city will be celebrating Valentine’s Day belatedly tonight at a charity event.

In just two years, the community’s Valentine’s Day Charity Musicale has become an eagerly anticipated occasion, director Bonnie Frank said.

“We’re expecting one of the largest turnouts for any of the activities we have in the community,” Frank said, adding that its popularity is due to the fund-raising and the fact that it’s the only community theater event aimed at an adult audience.

“They get to dress up in their formal clothes,” she said. “It’s also kind of fun to laugh at your neighbors making a fool of themselves.”

One couple who can relate are residents Dana and Chera Bashor, who will perform a rendition of “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.”

“He’s a good sport,” Chera Bashor said of her husband.

A singer and actress, Chera is a second-year performer in the Valentine Musicale. She said she agreed to participate because of the camaraderie and because it benefits worthy organizations in need of support.

“Knowing this would bring in a lot of people to give to three charities was a consideration,” she said. “What we’re doing is very important.”

This year’s event will benefit Haven Hills, a San Fernando Valley-based domestic-violence shelter, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and Round Meadow Elementary School.

Organizers could not estimate how much money will be raised by the event, which includes three musical performances as well as dinner and dancing. Open only to Hidden Hills residents, the evening is expected to draw more than 300 people at $25 per couple.

Frank said evenings of “wine, music and merriment” is very likely to continue for years--always for a good cause.

“Hopefully, we started something that will continue long after we’re no longer a part of it,” she said.