Press Release
Press Contact: Samantha Mighdoll - 561.514.4042 x109 - SMighdoll@palmbeachdramaworks.org
"Swingin' at the Supper Club"

Palm Beach Dramaworks' 
16th Anniversary Gala

March 12, 2016  

An Evening of Dinner, 
Dancing, and Celebration
9th ANNUAL SHELLY AWARD GIVEN to  JAN WINKLER
As that great song says, "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing," and 250 glamorous hep chicks and cool cats were swinging and jiving at the Kravis Center's Cohen Pavilion on March 12 in celebration and support of Palm Beach Dramaworks' 
16 th Anniversary Gala.

Chairs Marlene & Martin Silver chose "Swingin' at the Supper Club" as the evening's theme, and the venue was transformed into a chic nightclub evoking such legendary establishments as the Cotton Club, the Stork Club, the Latin Quarter, and El Morocco.  

The amazing George Lilly and the Half Fast All Stars provided the rousing music, which kept people on the dance floor all night. There was also special entertainment by Tracey Conyer Lee and Brian P. Whitted, who thrilled audiences last season as Billie Holiday and her onstage accompanist in PBD's record-breaking production of Lanie Robertson's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. They dazzled all over again with a selection of Holiday classics.

Among those enjoying the festivities were Congresswoman Lois Frankel and West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio.

The room was bathed in red light, and tables were swathed in tablecloths of red, black, and  zebra overlays. Guests dined on filet of beef, seared polenta, and wild mushroom ragout. And no respectable club would be complete without "cigarette girls," who navigated the floor with an array of chocolate cigars, cigarettes, and other delicious treats. OK, some things do change. 
Producing Artistic Director  William Hayes and Managing Director  Sue Ellen Beryl welcomed the guests to the company's biggest fund-raising event of the season. Among the evening's highlights was the presentation of the ninth annual Shelly Award, named after the late theatre impresario  Shelly Gross , which honors an outstanding individual in recognition of his or her exceptional commitment, support, and advocacy on behalf of PBD. This year's award went to
Jan Winkler, a patron of PBD for nearly 15 years and a former member of the board of directors who  served on the facility committee that oversaw the 2010 renovations of what is now the Don & Ann Brown Theatre. Hayes had high praise for Winkler, calling him "a real arts enthusiast, an avid PBD fan, and a fiercely strong advisor. He is never afraid to share his opinions, and always asks the hard questions. He was an active board member who took interest in every aspect of running a theatre. Jan was a very successful real estate developer up north, and his expertise was particularly valuable as we set about renovating the theatre."

The evening's generous supporters included Cotton Club sponsors Don Brown & The Honorable Ann Brown, Stephen Brown & Jamie Stern, Esther & Sid Dinerstein, Sherry & Stephen Jacobs, Marilyn Meyerhoff & Sam Feldman, Marlene & Martin Silver, Lee Wolf & Jordan Cohen; Stork Club sponsors Louise & Barry Snyder; Latin Quarter sponsors Akerman LLP - Chris & Tom Streit, Penny Bank, Nancy & Gene Beard, Bea Bloch & Alan Sagner, Susan Bloom, Susan & Larry Goldfein, Roe Green & Priscilla Heublein, Sylvia Greenberg, Sylvia & Paul Heiner, Judith & Lew Kramer, Pamela & Paul McIver, The Northern Trust Company - PBD Chair Daryn Kirchfeld & René Kirchfeld, Oasis Outsourcing - Diane & Mark Perlberg, Marsha & Stephen Rabb and Clara & Wen-Liu Miao, Selma & Joe Sitrick;El Morocco sponsors Ruth & Ted Baum, Patty Alper Cohn & David I. Cohn, Ginny & Irwin Edlavitch, Joan & David Genser, Carol & Albert Hallac, Don & Linda Silpe, Mimi & Frank Walsh, Jan Willinger & Robert Spiegel, and Oblio & Barry Wish.

It was, indeed, a very Sweet Sixteen.
Palm Beach Dramaworks is a non-profit, professional theatre and is a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the South Florida Theatre League, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.
 
The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
 
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Palm Beach Dramaworks - 201 Clematis Street West Palm Beach FL 33401 - 561.514.4042