African Sundowner
May 19th Fundraising Event for the
Cincinnati Zoo Angel Fund

An elegant evening of amazing Broadway entertainment, delicious food and great camaraderie returns to the Cincinnati Zoo on Monday, May 19. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden presents an African Sundowner, showcasing the Angel of Music. The African Sundowner, is a unique, fundraising event that will benefit the Cincinnati Zoo’s Angel Fund, a foundation to help insure the future of the endangered cheetahs in both the wild and in captivity.

For the first time, the Zoo will be hosting the signature event on Zoo grounds and will invite guests to witness cheetahs racing at top speeds in the Zoo’s New Cat Ambassador Program’s Cheetah Encounter. Entertainment for the event will showcase the Angels of Music, Broadway stars, Barbara McCulloh, Brad Little, Ron Bohmer and Judy McLane. In addition, local celebrity, Erich Kunzel of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, will emcee the event.

Guests will meet Cathryn Hilker, founder of the Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program and director of the Angel Fund, as well as Zoo cheetah ambassadors “Moya,” “Sahara,” “Bravo” and “Chance” and their Anatolian shepherd companions “Alexa” and “CJ.” These amazing and appealing animals highlight the Zoo’s involvement in cheetah conservation to thousands of Zoo visitors and school children every year.

In 1992, the Angel Fund was established by the Cincinnati Zoo in memory of “Angel,” the first cheetah to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador in the Zoo’s highly-respected Cat Ambassador Program. With a grant from Carl & Cathryn Hilker and other cheetah supporters, the Angel Fund purchased an 18,000-acre farm in Namibia, Southwest Africa, which has become the world headquarters of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF).

Chaired by Trudi Fullen, African Sundowner kicks off at 6 p.m. with the running of the cheetahs “catching the lure,” cocktails, Sundowner buffet and a silent auction, followed by a cabaret-style performance at 8:30 p.m. Dessert and coffee bar will be available at intermission. Tickets are $125 per person or $150 per patron. Safari attire.

To make reservations or to make a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo’s Angel Fund, please contact Marci Miller at 513-487-3328.

ENTERTAINERS
Erich Kunzel: Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops and one of the most successful and well-known Pops conductors and recording artists in history. Erich is a friend and supporter of The Angel Fund and the Cincinnati Zoo. He and his wife, Brunhilde, have traveled to Africa with Cathryn Hilker. The Zoo’s white tiger Popsie is the animal love of his life and is the official mascot of the Cincinnati Pops.

Sal Viviano: Sal made his Broadway debut in The Three Musketeers; followed-by starring roles in the Broadway hits Romance / Romance, City of Angels, Falsettos, The Life, and The Full Monty. On-tour, he's starred in Evita, Anything Goes!, The Pirates of Penzance, Hair; and received a Helen Hayes Award (Best Actor) nomination for his title-role portrayal in Sunday in The Park With George (Washington, D.C.). In New York, he most recently starred as Billy Flynn in the smash hit Chicago. Sal has appeared nationally in dozens of theatres, on television, in film and in concert with over 100 orchestras. This is Sal's debut into the world of cheetahs.

Barbara McCulloh: Has starred on Broadway in the acclaimed Peter Pan and The King and I. During a Christmas break from her Broadway duties as “I,” she was introduced to Cathryn Hilker at a Camargo Hunt event. That meeting brought Barbara and Brad to the Zoo’s Cat Ambassadors, where their cheetah tale began.

Ron Bohmer: Has starred on Broadway and national tours as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, the title character in The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Enjolras in Les Miserables. A Cincinnati native and graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, heis proud of his association with all of the “Angels of Music” and the Cincinnati Zoo. Ron met his first cheetah when Sarah was a cub.

Judy McLane: Currently starring as Tanya in the Broadway production of Mama Mia! Judy’s numerous Broadway credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Aspects of Love, and Chess. She has sung with Symphony Orchestras around the world, including several appearances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Judy became interested in the future of the cheetah while on a trip to Africa with Cathryn Hilker.