TheatreWorks Honors Gala Recognizes Gordon Davidson and Joe DiPietro Tonight

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, will stage its annual TheatreWorks Honors gala tonight, June 15, shining the spotlight on a Silicon Valley leader and a renowned theatre artist, both of whom have dedicated their lives to bringing forth vision, innovation, and creativity. The evening's honorees are Chairman of Fenwick & West law firm Gordon Davidson and Tony Award-winning Broadway playwright and composer Joe DiPietro (Memphis, Nice Work If You Can Get It).

Guests will enjoy the inimitable wit and style of Master of Ceremonies Joseph A. Grundfest, W.A. Franke Professor of Law and Business, and an evening of cocktails, an exquisite dinner, live auction, and a one-night-only musical presentation created expressly for the honorees. TheatreWorks Honors will be held 5:30pm Saturday, June 15, 2013 at the Microsoft Campus in Mountain View.

A limited number of tables at levels $7,500 and above, and individual tickets at $1,000, are available. For more information, the public may call (650) 463-7125, email events@theatreworks.org, or visit www.theatreworks.org.

Chairman of Fenwick & West law firm Gordon Davidson will be honored for his unwavering commitment to partnerships between the Silicon Valleybusiness and arts communities, and for his crucial role in shaping Silicon Valley's unique culture of innovation. A TheatreWorks subscriber for over 30 years, Davidson joined Fenwick & West in 1975, and has served as Chairman for the past 18 years, contributing significantly to the firm's strategic planning and growth. Under the chairmanship of Davidson, Fenwick & West has been a member of TheatreWorks' Corporate Circle since 1998, sponsoring a TheatreWorks production each season and hosting a yearly exclusive event at the theatre. Regarding his and Fenwick & West's contributions to the arts, Davidson said, "We admire the company's commitment to innovation and excellence. We appreciate the vitality of the theatre arts in our community."

Broadway playwright and composer Joe DiPietro will be honored for his groundbreaking new works that have delighted audiences in the Bay Area, on Broadway, and around the world. DiPietro received Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score for his work on the 2010 Broadway hit Memphis, also winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical; Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical, Best Music, and Best Orchestrations; and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Choreography. Memphis, which was developed and received its 2004 World Premiere at TheatreWorks, played for three years on Broadway before embarking on its current national tour. For his current Broadway show Nice Work If You Can Get It, starring Matthew Broderick, DiPietro was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. His other works include I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (the longest-running musical revue in Off-Broadway history); The Toxic Avenger and The Thing About Men(both winners of Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Off-Broadway Musical); the much-produced comedy Over the River and Through the Woods; The Art of Murder (Edgar Award winner for Best Mystery Play); and the Broadway musical All Shook Up.

Funds raised at the event will support TheatreWorks' outstanding performances and innovative education, community, and new works programs. Honorary Chairs for the event are Bill Campbell, Chairman of the Board of Intuit, Inc., and Jeff Crowe, Managing Partner at Norwest Venture Partners. Event Co-Chairs are Bill Coughran (Los Altos Hills), Partner at Sequoia Capital; Aaron Gershenberg (Menlo Park), Managing Partner at Silicon Valley Bank; Ray Rothrock (Portola Valley), Partner at Venrock; Scott Spector (Palo Alto), Partner at Fenwick & West Corporate Group; and Holly Ward (Palo Alto), TheatreWorks Board Trustee.

Executive Producer is Fenwick & West. Producers include Khosla Ventures, Michael and Michelle Kwatinetz, and Intuit, Inc. Associate Producers include Aspiriant, Spansion, Inc., and Symantec.

With some 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast locally and from across the country. A home for artists developing new works, it was at TheatreWorks that Memphis, the 2010 Tony Award-winning musical that played on Broadway for three years before embarking on its current national tour, was first workshopped and received its world premiere.

The gala is set for 5:30pm, Saturday June 15, 2013, Microsoft Campus, Mountain View. A limited number of tables at levels $7,500 and above, and individual tickets at $1,000 are available. For more information, the public may call (650) 463-7125, email events@theatreworks.org or visit www.theatreworks.org.

Photo Credit: Andrea Zucker Photography