While we were in Vegas for NFR, I saw that "Monday Dark" was celebrating its ninth anniversary with a star-studded concert at the Pearl Theater at the Palms. I asked people what it was and no one knew. So I'm asking you! What is Monday Dark and if it's such a big deal, why hasn't anyone heard of it?
Mondays Dark (with the "s" on Monday) is a charity project that, for the past 9 years, has been a labor of love for Mark Shunock and his wife Cheryl Dano.
Shunock is a name that many Las Vegans, especially Vegas Golden Nights fans, are familiar with. The Canadian ex-minor-league hockey player from Sault Ste. Marie migrated to Manhattan after failing to make the hockey big leagues and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He eventually landed the part of Timon, the meerkat, in The Lion King, first on Broadway, then with the touring company; he sang "Hakuna Matata" for three years before settling in Los Angeles. There, he was offered a part in the Vegas show Rock of Ages in 2012. He accepted and moved here.
At the time, the idea of a Vegas NHL hockey team was just building a head of steam and Shunock was a natural to jump on the train. Helping to sell seasons tickets, he attracted enough attention that when the team was formed a few years later, he was hired to be an in-arena host, revving up the fans with his announcements and theatrics. That led to jobs as the in-game announcer and vice president of entertainment for the Knights, then a ring announcer for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, and finally an in-game host for the Raiders.
Shortly after he moved here, he and his wife launched the non-profit charity, Mondays Dark. This is a 90-minute variety show composed of Shunock, Daro (a Filipino-American actress, director, and producer), and various local entertainers, all of whom perform for free in the twice-monthly showcase at a small-concert venue called The Space (off W. Harmon just west of I-15), which Shunock also runs. The proceeds, all $10,000 per show, are donated to local charities and in the past nine years, Mondays Dark has acquired nearly 150 non-profit partners that have received upwards of $2 million in donations.
The gala anniversary performance you mention took place on Monday December 12 at the Palms' Pearl concert venue, which sold out all 1,900 seats. Appearing, among others, were Clint Holmes, Skye Dee Mills, Lorena Peril, Bronx Wanderers, and the cast members of Bat out of Hell. The concert raised $122,000 for the 23 charities that Mondays Dark will support in 2023.
If you'd like to see the upcoming Mondays Dark schedule, buy tickets ($20-$50), check out this year's charities, and link to other events at The Space, go to mondaysdark.com.
