The Wyly Theatre was the place to be on Saturday night for many of the city’s most theatrical philanthropists, who joined event chair Yvette Ostolaza, underwriting chair Kersten Rettig and honorary chair Jeanne Marie Clossey for the aptly named Centerstage 2015 gala benefiting Dallas Theater Center.
As guests mingled over cocktails and canapés in the lobby, stunningly costumed showgirls and boys serpentined their way through crowd, enticing patrons to purchase raffle tickets in the form of whimsically lit rings. When they ascended the stairs for dinner, attendees discovered the theater had been transformed into a magical art deco wonderland, where an almost translucent aerialist performed from a magnificently large chandelier.
After a delectable three-course dinner featuring a cleverly named Gatsby Trio and an extremely successful live auction, it was time for Broadway and television star Megan Hilty to take the stage.
Accompanied by radio host Seth Rudetsky, Hilty charmed the room with stories from her time on the boards and songs from crowd favorites such as Wicked, My Fair Lady and of course, hit NBC drama Smash. A rousing finale of Nine to Five brought guests — including DTC artistic director Kevin Moriarty, Rebecca and Barron Fletcher, Julie and Ken Hersh, Diane and Hal Brierley, Tina and John Barry, Anne and Alex Smith, Jennifer and Coley Clark, Nancy Dedman, Rachael and Bob Dedman, Janie and Paul Cooke, Deborah McMurray, Glen Davison, and Stephanie and Todd Anderson — to their feet for a standing ovation.
Guests were still buzzing about Hilty’s Broadway belt at the after-party as they danced the night away with the incomparable DJ Lucy Wrubel.
Each year, Dallas Theater Center presents Centerstage to raise funds for its artistic and educational programming. Centerstage provides critical funding so the DTC can fulfill its mission of both high-quality theater and significant community outreach.
Bruce Hoeksema, Megan Hilty, Yvette Ostolaza
