TheatreSquared Will Host Gala For Education and Access in May

TheatreSquared’s signature annual celebration supporting education and access to remarkable live theater will be held on May 2, at 6:00pm at the Fayetteville Public Library, and is presented by sponsors Bob and Becky Alexander.

“We’re excited for this year’s Gala for Education and Access and the opportunity it creates for raising tomorrow’s future performers and theater lovers. We’ve found the performing arts and TheatreSquared so powerful in the impact it’s had on our family—the conversations it’s generated, the emotions we’ve experienced, and the memories we’ve created. Join us for this Gala to help every child experience the beauty, magic, and power of the performing arts.”
 

The evening will feature a command cabaret performance by Broadway veteran and 2024 Grammy nominee Liz Callaway. Callaway is no stranger to the TheatreSquared stage, having appeared in Every Brilliant Thing in the 2018-19 season. Callaway is a Tony and Grammy nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer and recording artist. She made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Baby, and for five years, won acclaim as Grizabella in Cats. She has also starred in the original casts of Miss Saigon, The Three Musketeers, and The Look of Love. Off-Broadway she received a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in The Spitfire Grill (Playwrights Horizons), and also appeared in Brownstone (Roundabout), No Way to Treat a Lady, Marry Me a Little, and Godspell. Other New York appearances include the legendary Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, A Stephen Sondheim Evening, Fiorello!(Encores!), and Hair in Concert. Regional and international credits include Dot in Sunday in the Park with George, Eva Peron in Evita, Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, and the European premiere of Sondheim on Sondheim at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Liz sang the Academy Award nominated song “Journey to the Past” in the animated feature Anastasia and is also the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves and The Return of Jafar. Other film work includes the singing voice of the title character in The Swan Princess, Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, Beauty and the Beast, The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars and The Rewrite with Hugh Grant.
 

Chef Matthew Cooper, chef/owner of Conifer in downtown Bentonville and 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South, will create a three-course seasonal menu.

A robust line-up of exciting raffle prizes will be offered this year, including:

• Diamond & Wine Package: Win a $2,500 gift certificate to Romance Diamond Co. and a collection of exceptional top-flight wines selected by Atlas The Restaurant
• An Evening with Liz Callaway: Enjoy a privately hosted dinner for 8 with Liz Callaway—Emmy winner, Tony nominee, 2024 Grammy nominee, and veteran of TheatreSquared's stage (Every Brilliant Thing).
• Wine Tasting at Hotvine Wine Shop: Join expert mixologist and wine purveyor, Adam Bernbach, at his new boutique wine shop and tasting room, Hotvine Wine Shop, for an exclusive wine tasting for your party of 8.

An after-dinner cocktail reception will be held outside on the Gathering Glade with music featuring DJ Philonious and late-night snacks from Commons Bar/Café.

All proceeds support the company’s education and access programs serving 30,000 Arkansans each year. The evening’s presenting sponsors are Bob and Becky Alexander.

Premier sponsor is Simmons Food, while lead sponsors are Margaret and Dick Rutherford.

Class sponsors include Ozarks Go!, Wilson Family Charitable Fund, Lynn & Joel Carver, Donny & Myra Epp, Denise & Hershey Garner, Maria & Joseph Godsey, Susan & Orville Hall, Judy & Bill Schwab, Tod Yeslow & Jackie Telfair.

Student Sponsors include Bank of Fayetteville, Highlands Oncology, Jerry Perez, and the University of Arkansas Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Individual tickets to the evening’s event start at $185; guest tables of eight start at $2,500. Individual sponsor tickets start at $300 and sponsor tables start at $3,500 for tables of eight. Please RSVP by calling (479) 777-7029 or online at theatre2.org/gala.

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