Photo Flash: George Street Playhouse Celebrates Successful Gala

George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit, held Sunday, May 5 at the Heldrich Hotel in downtown New Brunswick shattered fundraising goals this year to become the organization's highest grossing Gala in history, an achievement that punctuated an already celebratory evening as George Street and its patrons look eagerly ahead to the completion of its permanent new home in The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center this fall.

In full view of the NBPAC, this year's black tie affair honored "America's most popular sculptor" Seward Johnson; his wife Cecelia Joyce; and The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders with the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award, presented yearly at George Street's Annual Gala Benefit, which was chaired for the fifth time by George Street Playhouse trustee Kenneth M. Fisher.

The evening concluded with a special Cabaret performance featuring stars of theatre and film, including a number of Broadway and George Street favorites.

Among them was Laiona Michelle (Broadway's Amazing Grace), who closed the show to uproarious applause with an electrifying encore performance of "My Way," the finale from her own Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical, which had its critically acclaimed world premiere at George Street Playhouse this season.

In an impromptu move, honoree Seward Johnson himself took the stage for a special unplanned vocal performance in honor of his wife, finishing to a standing ovation.

For more information visit the George Street Playhouse website at www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org.

Photo Credit: Jerry Dalia