What: WaterTower Theatre's Ignite the Mission concert and party
Where: WaterTower Theatre at Addison Conference Center
The 411: Music lovers were in for a treat when WaterTower artistic director Shane Peterman brought in Grammy- and Emmy-nominated songwriter Steve Dorff for an evening of songs, stories, and salacious celebrity tidbits, all to help the theater's Ignite the Mission fundraising campaign.
The evening began early for VIP guests, who gathered for an exclusive pre-show cocktail hour and meet-and-greet with Dorff. Each VIP received a signed copy of Dorff's book I Wrote That One, Too... : A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney.
Guests were then seated in the Terry Martin Main Stage and surprised with a sneak peek of the as-yet-announced closing show of the 2019-20 season. Cara Serber and Quintin Jones, accompanied by Jeff Crouse, sang "I Wanna Be With You" from Golden Boy, which will be performed in concert next August.
Then the audience was treated to a 90-minute concert from Dorff, who played some of the greatest hits from his songwriting catalog. Everything from the theme to Growing Pains to Kenny Rogers' chart-topping hit "Through The Years" elicited appreciative murmurs as patrons recognized the tunes, and Dorff peppered his playing with funny and heartwarming tales about his incredible career working with a who's who of famous artists (think Garth Brooks, Karen Carpenter, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Whitney Houston, and more).
Following the concert, the audience enjoyed drinks and desserts from Heart to Heart Catering while also mingling with Dorff, who posed for photos and signed more copies of his book.
Who:Don and Barbara Daseke, Liese and Michael Canterbury, Marsha and Paul Walden, Preston Page, Jennifer Martinez, Phil and Janeva Longacre, Nancy Brenner, Andrea Redmon, Tom Braun, Grace Daniels, Kita Hobbs, Rosalind and Mervyn Benjet, and Donald Jordan.
Dorff and Peterman with members of the Addison City Council.
