Bt Savannah Whaley

In both a commemoration of World AIDS Day and a call to action, CAN Community Health presents The Red Note Concert in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa in two intimate evenings filled with heart, hope and purpose.

Tony®, Grammy® and Emmy® winner André  De Shields opens the concerts after recently starring on Broadway in CATS The Jellicle Ball and being named a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign’s 2026 Legendary Visibility Award for what it noted was his “deeply impactful work expanding visibility on critical LGBTQ+ issues, permanently shaping the culture and legacy of the LGBTQ+ community.” 

De Shields’ Broadway appearances include Hadestown (Tony Award), The Wiz (title role), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony nomination).

Recording artist, television personality and Broadway performer Clay Aiken headlines the concerts. After first gaining fame on American Idol, Aiken has become one of the most successful touring artists to emerge from the early 2000s pop era, selling more than six million albums worldwide in just the first seven years of his recording career.

Aiken appears just days after closing out his first Las Vegas residency, Joyful Noise at Harrah’s Showroom. Early next year, he launches the Rewind Tour, his first solo tour in 15 years, which follows this fall’s release of his first album of original music in nearly two decades.

Longtime SiriusXM On Broadway host Seth Rudetsky serves as music director. As a pianist, he has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including Ragtime, Les Misérables, and Phantom of the Opera. Rudetsky and his husband, James Wesley, received the National Leadership Award from the National LGBTQ Task Force for their work to aid survivors and families of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

The Fort Lauderdale concert will also include a special performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida.

This is the second consecutive year that CAN Community Health has presented World AIDS Day concerts.

“What I remember most is the connection in the room,” recalled CAN Community Health Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer Kal Gajraj, Ph.D. “The success of the concerts was not measured solely by attendance. It was reflected in the conversations they sparked, the visibility they created and the people who left feeling less alone and more hopeful. That response affirmed our belief that these concerts should become an annual tradition.”

Proceeds from the concerts will once again benefit the Susan Terry Foundation, which CAN Community Health launched in July 2025 in honor of longtime AIDS advocate Susan Terry.

“The Susan Terry Foundation was created to really improve access to healthcare for everyone and given Susan’s passion for those living with or affected by HIV, that’s really the focus,” said Ray Carson, the Foundation’s executive director. “We really try to focus on issues like homelessness, mental health support, transportation, and anything that really stops somebody from seeking care. If somebody doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, they’re probably not going to be looking out for their own health. We invest in programs and community partnerships that help remove barriers to care.”

The need is great, evidenced by the fact that with two months still to go before the Foundation’s deadline, applications for grants are double what they were last year. By raising awareness and funds, the concerts will aid the Foundation’s plans to expand its underwriting to organizations throughout Florida and, later, to other states where CAN Community Health is located.

The First World AIDS Day was observed in 1988 before the discovery of today’s effective treatments and powerful prevention tools.

“World AIDS Day allows us to remember those we have lost, honor those living with HIV and renew our commitment to prevention, testing, treatment and compassionate care,” Gajraj said. “Nearly four decades later, it remains essential because HIV has not disappeared, and neither has the stigma surrounding it. Too many people still encounter fear, misinformation, unequal access to care and judgment.”

Carson agrees about the continued observance of World AIDS Day.

“It raises awareness and I think that’s important that we do because when I took this job I had people who said, ‘HIV? Is that even an issue anymore?,’” Carson said. “People have forgotten that history. I think it’s an important reminder of where we were, how far we’ve come, but how much more work we have to do.”