'Wickedly Wonderful' Event on 8/29 Set To Benefit TPAC Education

"Wickedly Wonderful" is the theme of the 2009 Fest de Ville Gala on Saturday, August 29 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Décor, lighting design, entertainment and even the dinner menu are inspired by the Broadway blockbuster Wicked, playing TPAC September 2-20.

Exclusive opportunities to go behind the scenes of Wicked and to appear in a walk-on role in another Broadway tour on the TPAC stage are among the unique items to be auctioned at the event.

The 10th annual benefit event for TPAC's cultural and educational programs, sponsored by Central Parking, celebrates the upcoming diverse performing arts season at the center. Robin Glover and Renée Chevalier are co-chairing the event, with Lauren Pitts serving as the auction chair.

The evening begins with a silent auction and cocktails at 6:30 p.m. in the main lobby, followed by dinner on the stage of Andrew Jackson Hall at 7:30 p.m. with entertainment and a live auction.

"The magic of the Broadway musical Wicked will inspire one of the most fun and colorful benefits in our history. Telling another side of the story that we know from The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is the mega-musical of our time, this big spectacle of a show that draws audiences into a world of wonder and wildest dreams," said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC's president and CEO. "Our Gala already has a reputation for its exotic setting and surprises for guests that reflect the theatrics that define what we do at TPAC. Imagine how much fun we'll have with Wicked, from the décor to the dining, as we celebrate the beginning of another season of live entertainment and arts education."
Tickets to the gala are $300 per person ($220 is tax deductible). "Over the Rainbow Producers Tables" are available for $5,000 and "Yellow Brick Road Directors Tables" are $3000.

Central Parking is the presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors are Nissan and Vanderbilt University, with contributions from American Airlines, Brown-Forman, Lipman Brothers, McQuiddy Classic Printing, and The Premiere Event.
Décor is by Jim Knestrick of Knestrick By Design with catering by Tully's Bistro and Catering of Hartsville.

Serving nearly 11 million audience members and approximately 1.5 million children over the past 29 years, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center is home to three resident companies, HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC, and a wide variety of special engagements. TPAC Education is one of the leading arts-in-education initiatives in the United States with an enrichment series for adults and programs that complement learning objectives in classrooms from pre-school through high school throughout the state.

For an invitation to Fest de Ville Gala, or information on sponsorships and corporate tables, call 615/687-4300.

 

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