More than 500 of Miami’s most influential arts patrons, philanthropists, and business and civic leaders will gather on Thursday, October 28, 2010 as the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County marks its 5th Anniversary Season with a special Gala event starring Broadway performer and four-time Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza. This year’s 5th Anniversary Season Gala will honor the Center’s legacy to date, the evolution of its mission as a ‘world-class, community-based’ performing arts center, and its future direction as the Miami community continues to invest in the institution.
The black tie event will begin at 7 p.m. with Act I: cocktails in the Arthur and Alice Adams Foundation Lobby. Act II, the dedication of the Center’s newly-engraved grand donor wall, will precede Act III: a spectacular dinner by Barton G. Weiss’ Performing Arts Catering on the Lynn Wolfson Stage in the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. Act IV will feature a special performance by multi-talented Miami native Raúl Esparza. Mr. Esparza most recently wowed Miami audiences in the summer 2010 run of BABALU, which marked his Adrienne Arsht Center debut. The Gala will take place just prior to Mr. Esparza’s debut in Leap of Faith, a new musical in which he will be starring with actress Brooke Shields. Mr. Esparza is a recipient of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ prestigious youngARTS Award. The evening will conclude with Act V, desserts and dancing. The entire evening will carry a black-and-white motif. Proceeds from the Gala will support the Center’s mission-driven arts education and community outreach programs.
In line with the 5th Anniversary Season theme, “Every great performance begins with you,” the Gala will celebrate the dedication of several ‘grand honorees’ who have played an important role in the Center’s initial development and subsequent success. The evening’s grand honorees include Adrienne Arsht, Lin Arison/Arison Arts Foundation, Alberto and Susana Ibargüen/Knight Foundation, Parker and Vann Thomson, Woody and Judy Weiser, and Sanford and Dolores Ziff.
“The legacy of our Gala honorees produced the two iconic Cesar Pelli-designed buildings that today serve as a cultural anchor for our community,” said Mike Eidson, Chair-Elect of the Performing Arts Center Trust. “Names like Arison, Arsht, Ibargüen, Thomson, Weiser and Ziff are synonymous with Miami’s cultural landscape. Their years of leadership and involvement are today paying dividends in the form of a world-class performing arts center that rivals any institution of its kind in the U.S. Our 5th Anniversary Season Gala will be a celebration of their vision and commitment.”
A focal point of the Gala evening will be the dedication of the grand donor wall in the Ziff Ballet Opera House featuring the names of hundreds of individuals, families, businesses and organizations that have supported the Center dating back to its initial planning phase. The wall’s newest additions will be names that participated in the Adrienne Arsht Center’s 2010 Donor Wall initiative, which raised more than $2 million, according to Suzanna Valdez, the Center’s Vice President for Advancement.
“This year’s Gala will offer our supporters a chance to reflect on the impact we have made on the millions of patrons who have passed through our doors, the countless artists with whom we have collaborated, the tens of thousands of school children who have experienced our arts education programs, and the dramatic role we have played in shaping our Downtown Miami neighborhood,” said M. John Richard, President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “As we embark on our fifth year in service to our community, we will take this opportunity to honor those who have dedicated their time, talent and dollars to helping our institution succeed to this point and beyond.”
Joining this year’s Gala Honorary Chairwoman Adrienne Arsht will be Chairs Margaret and Mike Eidson and Marvin Ross Friedman and Adrienne bon Haes. Co-chairs include Ana and Rob Barlick, Trish and Dan Bell, Nancy Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey H. Loria, and Penny and Roe Stamps.
The Gala is supported by the Center’s 5th Anniversary Season sponsors, TotalBank and Alan R. and Diane Lieberman, as well as event sponsors Bacardi, Barton G., The Miami Herald, and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin brand in the world and the name sponsor of the Center’s brand-new BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Lounge.
For more information about this momentous event, corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities, or to RSVP for the 5th Anniversary Season Gala, please call (786) 468-2020 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (786) 468-2020 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email Gala@arshtcenter.org.