Auditorium Theatre Raises Over $355,000 at Annual Fall Gala

On Saturday, November 3, over 300 people gathered for the Auditorium Theatre's 2018 Annual Fall Gala, raising over $355,000 for the theatre's local, national, and international programming; community outreach efforts; and the continued restoration of the 129-year-old theatre. The Gala was chaired by Lou & Jill Raizin and Lew Collens & Lee Ayers.

The evening began with a cocktail reception in the Empire Room at the Palmer House Hilton, with music provided by Rich Daniels and the City Lights Orchestra. Guests then moved to the Palmer House's iconic Red Lacquer Room for a three-course meal which featured a smoked salmon salad, filet and scallop Rockefeller, and a dessert sampler.

At this year's Gala, Mel Katten, a longtime Auditorium Theatre board member and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2002-2015, was honored with the third annual Adler and Sullivan Award. The award - named after the theatre's founding architects - commemorates Katten's dedication to the Auditorium Theatre and to the cultural landscape in Chicago. During his tenure as Chairman, Katten oversaw the establishment of the theatre's Creative Engagement Department, created lasting partnerships with organizations including Broadway In Chicago and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and raised funds to install the theatre's elevator and a new rehearsal studio. Katten is a founding partner of the Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP law firm and a founder of The Pamela B. Katten Memorial Leukemia Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money for cancer research created in memory of his daughter, Pamela, who died in 2002 following a battle with the disease. In addition to his service as Chair Emeritus for the Auditorium, Katten also serves on the Board of Trustees of Roosevelt University and sits on the Board of Directors for LUMA8 and the Chicago Loop Alliance.

Katten was presented with the Adler and Sullivan award by John Svoboda, Chairman of the Auditorium Theatre Board of Directors; Rachel Freund, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Auditorium Theatre; and Gala co-chairs Collens and Raizin. Mayor Rahm Emanuel also issued a proclamation declaring November 3, 2018 to be "Mel Katten Day," in recognition of Katten's tireless work as a supporter of the arts, a community advocate, and a philanthropist.

Immediately following the award presentation, guests traveled by trolley to the Auditorium Theatre, where they joined over 2,500 people to see the legendary Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, making their first appearance in over 40 years on the theatre's historic stage. The group awed audience members with a performance that featured classics including "Grease" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."

The Auditorium Theatre 2018 Fall Gala was sponsored by the Anthony R. and Mary Ann Pasquinelli Foundation.

Photos by Robert Carl