Gala

Gala 2011: Sapphire and Steele

Committee Chairs: Laurie Kaye Glaser and Kim Bourn

Arizona Theatre Company celebrated its 45th season Saturday, October 1st with GALA 2011: SAPPHIRE AND STEELE. For the past twenty years, Arizona Theatre Company’s annual Gala has launched the Tucson arts season and become a glittering local tradition.

The evening began at 5PM with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception in the Temple Courtyard. Immediately following, guests enjoyed an exclusive performance by Academy Award Nominee Jevetta Steele, star of ATC’s highly-acclaimed production Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. An evening of dinner and dancing, accompanied by a live auction rounded out the festivities.

The evening included a live auction fundraiser offering the chance to win several luxury items and once-in-a-lifetime experiences including a walk-on role in The Great Gatsby.

Jevetta Steele has appeared on Broadway in The Gospel at Colonus and has performed in the national/international tours of Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story, Bagdad Café-The Musical, The Sounds of Blackness and The Night Before Christmas. Regional credits include Guthrie Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre and Penumbra Theatre Company. Her film credits include Corrina, Corrina; Hoop Dreams; Born to be Wild; Graffiti Bridge and Bagdad Café (for which she received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Song for “Calling You”). She is a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion and has four gold records to her credit. She can be heard on her solo CDs, Here It Is and My Heart, as well as the original cast recording of Two Queens, One Castle. To hear music clips and see videos of Jevetta performing, visit: www.thesteelesmusic.com/jevetta/
Download an article featuring an interview with Jevetta Steele in Tucson Lifestyle [PDF]

Genevieve and the LP’s, one of Tucson's finest live Soul and R&B bands featuring the amazing vocals of Genevieve Gaus, kept guests dancing under the stars throughout the evening.

The Georgy Award
Named after George Rosenberg, an Arizona Theatre Company Trustee Emeritus and longtime benefactor, the "Georgy" Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have made an outstanding commitment to the theatre and a meaningful contribution to ATC, or that embody the spirit of ATC's Mission in their work with the Arts in the Community. This year's honoree was Lew Schorr and Lewis and Roca, LLP.

Proceeds
Proceeds benefited Arizona Theatre Company’s education and community engagement programs to further the company’s mission of producing professional theatre as well as serving as an educational and cultural resource in the state.