Over
250 guests filled the Kravis Center Cohen Pavilion on Wednesday, March
18, 2009, to join in the festivities of the much anticipated “So
You Think You Can Act?” -- an evening of dinner
and entertainment---to benefit West Palm Beach's only professional
theater company, Palm Beach Dramaworks.
Co-chaired by Palm Beach's much admired ladies around town Sandy
Heine and Judy Messing, the evening revved up right from the start
when, over cocktails and passed hors d' oeuvres, the very talented
students from The Dreyfoos School of the Arts dazzled their captive
audience performing a medley of favorites from “A Chorus Line.” Immediately
following their standing ovation, theatre impresario Shelly Gross honored
Mayor Lois Frankel with the second annual “Shelly Award”—an
award given to a dedicated individual who has made an extraordinary
commitment to developing and supporting the theatre community in South
Florida
After cocktails, guests entered a dramatically transformed ballroom
---with rings of layered tables - night club style - topped
with prize-winning sky high orchids (courtesy of Floral Emporium with
additional décor, courtesy Sutka Productions International, Inc, )
--- a perfect setting for the unforgettable string of unpredictable
auditions for aspiring thespians, directed by Dramaworks producing
artistic director, Bill Hayes. Hands down, the most entertaining
audition was West Palm Beach Mayor Frankel with Palm Beach Mayor Jack
McDonald cast as the famous ill-fated lovers in “Romeo and Juliet!” Guests
agreed that the mayors might only be out-done by gorgeous Mia Matthews
and WPTV's lovable meteorologist Glenn Glazer, doing their ‘I
love you, you're perfect now change' bit from “Barefoot
in the Park.” The sumptuous dinner (catered by Special
Impressions) included gremolata crusted beef filet paired with crispy
portobello and oyster mushroom involtini, followed by a decadent chocolate
illusion cage filled with white and dark chocolate mousse.
The event's Grand Benefactors, Susan Bloom and Sydelle Meyer,
kept the dance floor hopping with sensational music provided by the
incomparable Music Works Talent. The evening, which raised in excess
of $200,000, was the Company's most successful fundraiser in
their eight and a half year history, and it filled the Cohen Pavilion
ballroom with both new-found theater lovers and devoted generous patrons
including Susan Bloom (Grand Benefactor), Sydelle Meyer (Grand Benefactor),
The Honorable Ann Brown and Donald A. Brown (Evening Dinner Sponsors),
Elfriede Grevendick (Performance Sponsor), Esther Dinerstein & Sid
Dinerstein (Cocktail Reception Sponsors), Cindy Cerone & Vince
Cerone (of Braman Motor Cars – Benefit Design Sponsors), Judy
Messing (co-chair) & Gil Messing, Sandy Heine (co-chair), Joan
Gross & Shelly Gross, Dr. Sidney A. Lesowitz & Peter Rogers,
Diane Perlberg & Mark Perlberg, Linda Silpe & Don Silpe, Jane
Perry & Bernie Perry, Selma Sitrick & Joe Sitrick, Iris Apfel & Carl
Apfel, Mia Matthews, Carol Cohen, Miriam Flamm & Alec Flamm, Mayor
Lois Frankel, Mayor Jack McDonald, Tasha Glazer & Glenn Glazer,
Dorothy Lappin, Nancy Carter & Donald Carter, Calla Guild & Ralph
Guild, Joan Luby & Chester Luby, Laurel Baker, Kathi Kretzer, Ann
Marie Rezzonico & Peter Rezzonico, Georgiana Duber, Eunice Bigelow & David
Bigelow, Hilda Bell & Lee Bell, Penny Beers & Mitch Beers,
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Berman, Iris Capobianco, Bud Tamarkin, Daphne
Fessler & Bobby Fessler, Danielle de Benedictis, Julia Hansen,
Abe Gosman, Mr. & Mrs. Hans Homberger, Jane Karp & Richard
Karp, Ruth Krall, J. Barry Lewis, Susan Lehrman & Louis Wechsler,
Sherron Long, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Maharem, Selma Rosen & Marty
Rosen, Rita Stein, Susan Gluck-Pappajohn, Pam McIver & Brian
McIver, Ann North, David Stringfield, Margaret Donnelley, Fran B. Luckoff,
Barbara Miller & Stephen Miller, Bruce Sutka, David Negre, Bitty
Rapaport & Peter Rapaport, Mr. & Mrs. Norman Reitman, Ann Sommer & Rick
Sommer, J. David Veselsky & Kenneth B. Elias, Nancy Eliades & Chris
Eliades, Jan Winkler & Hermine Drezner, Leatrice Wolf and Palm
Beach Dramaworks producing artistic director William Hayes, managing
director Sue Ellen Beryl, director of development Steve Caras and Nanique
Gheridian, company manager.
