Photo Coverage: Guild Hall's Celebrating Creativity Gala

Guild Hall of Easthampton, home of the John Drew Theater, kicked off its 75th anniversary with "Celebrating Creativity," the annual Academy of the Arts Gala. The event took place on March 13th at the Rainbow Room and honored lifelong patron of the Arts, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Academy also honored the over 70 past award recipients from the last two decades for sustained excellence in the performing, visual and literary arts. Veteran Broadway producer Roy Furman, President of the prestigious Academy, saluted the veritable who's who in Arts and letters, many of whom attended including Louis Begley, Dina Merrill, Kurt Vonnegut, Lukas Foss, Tony Walton, Paul Davis, E. L. Doctorow and Budd Schulberg.  A highlight of the evening--which was hosted by "The View"'s Angela LaGreca--was a performance by Chita Rivera who, with conductor Mark Hummel, wowed the elegant crowd with several showstoppers. The two-time Tony Award winner and Kennedy Center honoree paid a loving tribute to the late Cy Coleman with a rendition of "Where Am I Going?" from Sweet Charity, which she had performed at the Johnny Mercer Foundation tribute to Coleman in the very same room just days before he passed away last year. 

For more information, visit www.guildhall.org.