Beaux Arts Society 'Spring Fling' Honors McArdle, Pedi, Dale, and More

The Beaux Arts Society of New York held its annual "Spring Fling" luncheon on April 27, 2014 at The Press Box in Manhattan. At that time, the 2014 Distinguished Artists roster was announced. Distinguished Artists named this year included Andrea McArdle, Christine Pedi, legendary dancer/choreographer Grover Dale, Broadway and cabaret star Raissa Katona Bennett, Carole Demas ("Sandy" of GREASE and "Carole" of "WPIX' "The Magic Garden"), Paula Janis (Demas' co-star in "The Magic Garden"), Kevin Scott Hall, and West Coast stage actors and network television stars John Billingsley ("The Nine," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "True Blood") and Bonita Fredericy ("Chuck"), among others.

Dr. Tom Stevens, Society president, welcomed the crowd and performed introductions, then turning the program over to Advisory Committee chair, critic Andrew Martin, to announce the Distinguished Artists. A buffet luncheon featuring Press Box specialties was served.

Guests present included Dale, Bennett, Demas and Janis, Hall, actor James Allerdyce, art deco fine artist and speaker Stephan, author Bernadette Miller, and cabaret artists Ronnie Giles and Diana Templeton as well as members of the Society and their guests.

Entertainment was provided by Ronnie Giles, singer Corky Romash, Diana Templeton (who performed late Distinguished Artist Dottie Burman's comic monologue, "Liberty's Lament"), and by Carole Demas and Paula Janis. Demas and Janis, or "Carole and Paula," are the former stars of WPIX children's show "The Magic Garden," and their performance of the show's popular "The Hello Song" was the hit of the afternoon despite the crowd's enthusiastic enjoyment of the other singers and entertainers.

It was announced that the Society will hold a summer event, most likely in August, prior to its annual Beaux Arts Ball in the autumn.

For further information about the activities of the Beaux Arts Society and for lists of its Distinguished Artists and Beaux Arts Ball "royal family" honorees, visit its web page at www.beauxartssociety.org.

(Photo 1: Carole Demas, Grover Dale, Andrew Martin, Paula Janis; Photo 2, Bernadette Miller and James Allerdyce)

Disclosure: The author is vice-chair of the Advisory Committee of the Beaux Arts Society as well as an editor for Broadway World.