Monthly show features local talent to raise funds for nonprofits

On a typical day off, many people seem satisfied with paying bills, weeding the garden or kicking back with a frosty beverage while binge watching their favorite show. At least once a month, Mark Shunock uses his day off to raise $10,000 for a charity.

Shunock is the host of Mondays Dark, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary with its biggest show yet. He and his wife are co-organizers of the event that takes place at 9:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month and brings together local performers to raise money for nonprofits. The lineup and the beneficiaries change each month.

“One of the goals from the onset is to let people see performers in a they haven’t before,” Shunock said. “Like getting the cast of ‘Jersey Boys’ out to sing something that isn’t The Four Seasons.”

The anniversary event is slated for 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road.

Creating a great and unusual show is the means to an end for Shunock, who wants to give something back to the community he has called home for the last two years.

Shunock has been a working actor for most of his adult life, appearing in Broadway shows and films, always struggling to keep working. When he was offered the lead in “Rock of Ages” at The Venetian, he jumped at the chance.

“It was life-changing coming out here,” he said. “I went from being a struggling actor looking for the next gig, and I was given this opportunity where I’m going to be OK for at least a year or two, with checks coming in. I can pay my bills and not wonder if I’m going to have to bartend tonight or wait on tables.”

Shunock said he and his wife were immediately welcomed by local performers.

“We were treated really well right out of the gate,” he said. “ The entertainment community is very tight out here. It’s a small-town feel, even though it’s a big town.”

Soon, he was being asked to perform at charity events, where he met people such as Cheryl Ruettiger, executive director of the Rudy Foundation. He decided there were so many deserving charities that he wanted to create his event to try to bring money to as many charities as possible.

“Mark was fantastic for us,” Ruettiger said. “It was a great show and a great experience. He’s got nonprofits lining up to have him do a show for them now.”

At the time, “Rock of Ages” was dark on Mondays, which led to the name of the event and the timing of the charity performances.

“We just wanted a way to give back,” Shunock said. “We didn’t anticipate it getting this big. I thought it was going to be low-key at first. I’d just say to a couple people, ‘Do you want to sing a tune with us?’, and we’d get a couple musicians and jam out. Now it’s turned into quite a production. We put together a different theme each month, so each show is unique. It’s very intimate. There’s no script, and it’s off the cuff. It’s just a bunch of performers and entertainers getting together.”

Rowena Baraan Krifaton, founder of the Shine Family Foundation, which raises money to help the families of veterans and U.S. military personnel deployed overseas, thinks highly of the performances.

“It’s the best show in Las Vegas,” she said. “Mark brings all the top names in Las Vegas under one roof, and the tickets are only $20. There’s no show and no bargain like that in town.”

Shunock typically brings in 10 to 12 performers to entertain the crowd. He acts as master of ceremonies, introduces acts and discusses that month’s charity. Money is raised by the tickets sold and a silent auction of 20 or so items, often tickets to other shows or other items donated by local businesses.

“Everyone is donating their time, from the musicians to the performers to the stage managers,” Shunock said. “The Hard Rock lets us use Vinyl each month for free, and they’re letting us use The Joint this month.”

Shunock has booked the venue through December 2015, and the next 11 beneficiaries have been chosen. They are set to be announced and introduced at the anniversary event. The show will be bigger, flashier and earlier in the evening this month, with all of the charities that have benefited in the first year on hand.

All of the ticket sales will be split among the charities that benefited during the event’s first year: AFAN, the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation, the Healing Curve, His Love Street Nevada, the Miracle League, the Neurofibromatosis Network, the NSPCA, Opportunity Village, the Rudy Foundation, S.A.F.E. House, the Saint Therese Center, the Shine Family Foundation and the Vegas Shepherd Rescue.

“Mark has a big heart,” Ruettiger said. “He’s out there in the community, and he’s taking his night off to do something for someone else, which is pretty cool.”

The silent auction is set to be bigger than ever, with at least 75 items up for bid. The money raised by the auction typically goes to that month’s charity, but the proceeds are going to a new recipient this month: Mondays Dark.

“We’ve been rushing around to get all the paperwork done before the show,” Shunock said. “Now we’ll have some money on hand to cover any incidentals, and if a charity doesn’t make at least $10,000, we’ll try to throw in enough to make up the difference.”

Tickets for the Mondays Dark anniversary show are $20 in advance and $30 at the door. VIP tickets are available for $50, which includes an after-party at Vinyl. For more information or tickets, visit mondaysdark.com or call 702-485-1262.

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.