Megan Hilty, Jimmy Smits, Jose Feliciano and Tom Wopat Join Encore Celebration Gala Weekend in Indy, 6/28-29

A Broadway star, two television legends and a guitar virtuoso have joined the entertainment lineup for the Encore Celebration Gala Weekend presented by Krieg DeVault. The June 28-29 benefit for the Center for the Performing Arts also serves as the setting for the second annual Great American Songbook Hall of Fame induction. Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, Rita Moreno and Jimmy Webb represent the 2013 class of the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame.

Michael Feinstein, the Center's artistic director, will be joined by Broadway and television star Megan Hilty in a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli, with television legend Jimmy Smits and guitar virtuoso Jose Feliciano honoring Rita Moreno, and vocalist Tom Wopat performing songwriter Jimmy Webb's hits. Together, the artists will honor the inductees' musical contributions to the Great American Songbook.

The 2013 Encore Celebration Gala Weekend presented by Krieg DeVault is two nights - Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. The Friday evening event, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, includes a cocktail reception, dinner, auction and dancing, with the Saturday evening Songbook Hall of Fame performance and induction ceremony at the Palladium in Carmel. The live and silent auction also is a new addition to the annual event.

The Saturday evening of the gala weekend will feature Michael Feinstein as he inducts a new round of honorees as part of the Songbook Hall of Fame. The star-studded ceremony will honor the musical contributions of Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Rita Moreno and Jimmy Webb. Conceived as an enduring testament to the Great American Songbook's artistic contributors, the Hall of Fame honors lyricists, composers and performers responsible for creating America's soundtrack. Saturday evening will include a post-show after party with three themed music clubs.

Feinstein, the Initiative's founder and noted American Songbook ambassador, said the 2013 celebration builds on the Initiative's goals. "We intentionally created the Hall of Fame to honor our country's songwriters and artists," said Feinstein. "Sharing their music and recognizing their contributions ensures that our heritage endures for generations to come."

The gala weekend and Songbook Hall of Fame ceremony is presented by Krieg DeVault, First Merchants Bank and Katz, Sapper & Miller LLP, with support from Tom Wood Jaguar and Tom Wood Land Rover. The silent and live auction on Friday, June 28 will allow guests to bid on vacation packages, exotic trips, unique experiences and one-of-a-kind memorabilia from artists seen at the Palladium. All proceeds will benefit the Center for the Performing Arts. Preview auction items and online bidding starts in mid-June at the Center's website.

For details on table reservations or individual tickets, call Laura Varnau at 317-819-3521. Patron table for 10 is $5,000. Celebrity Circle tables are $7,500. Single tickets are $500 and are on sale now. Information is available online at www.TheCenterPresents.org. Tickets are sold as a package and include admission to all events on both evenings.

About the performers:

Megan Hilty: Hilty is an American stage and television actress. She rose to prominence for her roles in several Broadway musicals including her performance as Glinda in "Wicked" and her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes in "9 to 5: The Musical." She also starred in the NBC drama Smash.

Jimmy Smits: Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Matt Santos on The West Wing. He is also notable for his portrayal of Bail Organa in the Star Warsprequel trilogy, and Miguel Prado in Dexter. In 2012, he joined the cast of Sons of Anarchy as high-level pimp Nero Padilla.

Jose Feliciano: Feliciano is a Puerto Rican virtuoso guitarist, singer and composer known for many international hits including his rendition of The Doors' "Light My Fire" and the best-selling Christmas single "Feliz Navidad."

Tom Wopat: Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard.I've Got Your Number, Wopat's current album, is a musical expedition backed by a 30-piece orchestra that evokes the spirit of the New York supper club era.

The 2013 awards include:

Legend: Awarded posthumously to an artist who made a significant contribution to the Golden Age of American popular music, typically defined as the period from the early years of the 20th century through the 1960s. Inductees: Frank Sinatra, 2013; Cole Porter, 2012.

Songbook: Awarded to living songwriters, both lyricists and composers, who have made a significant impact on American pop culture by creating the most beloved songs from the American popular songbook. Inductees: Jimmy Webb, 2013; Alan and Marilyn Bergman, 2012.

New Standard: Awarded to the artist, songwriter and/or performer, who continues to create the soundtrack of our lives by writing and/or performing music that will stand the test of time and become the pop standards of tomorrow. Inductee: Liza Minnelli, 2013; Rita Moreno, 2013; Barry Manilow, 2012.

About the Hall of Fame awards:

The Hall of Fame will elevate the Great American Songbook, much like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame have done for their respective musical genres. The Great American Songbook Hall of Fame will induct new members annually. The Palladium concert hall in Carmel, Indiana serves as the official home of the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative and the Hall of Fame. The awards will be displayed in the south lobby on the gallery level of the Palladium concert hall. Plans exist for the construction of the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame Museum and Archive on the campus of the Carmel, Indiana-based Center for the Performing Arts.

Michael Feinstein's Great American Songbook Initiative is an archive, museum and education center at the Center for the Performing Arts, in Carmel City Center. The campus includes the 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall, the Tarkington 500-seat proscenium theater and the 200-seat Studio Theater. The Center is a permanent fixture on the Central Indiana landscape and provides an extraordinary listening experience for audiences, acting as a museum and education center by day and a concert venue by night.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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