Rita Wilson Headlines Alliance Theatre's 6th Annual A TONY EVENING Tonight

Atlanta's nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre will host its 6th annual A Tony Evening at the W Hotel - Midtown tonight, May 10, 2014. The star-studded party of the year benefits the Alliance Theatre's programs for youth and families, connecting the arts to children both young and young at heart.

The 2014 A Tony Evening will honor Victoria and Howard Palefsky for their commitment to, and support of, the arts in Atlanta, and particularly the Alliance Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center. Mrs. Palefsky currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alliance Theatre, and her many accomplishments include creating the first A Tony Evening and the Season Opening Gala events. She has served on the Board of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and has chaired the Atlanta Symphony Ball and the High Museum's annual Gala. Aside from his work as an entrepreneur, manager and investor, Mr. Palefsky serves on the boards of numerous public and private companies, providing guidance to other entrepreneurs and managers with regard to industry trends, strategy, and investment. He also serves on the Board of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and in 2013, assumed the role of Chair of the Finance Committee.

Actress, producer, writer and singer Rita Wilson is the scheduled performer for the event. Wilson is perhaps best known for her film roles in It's Complicated and Sleepless in Seattle, and her recurring TV role in The Good Wife and HBO's Girls. Wilson's producing credits include the record breaking box-office hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the beloved film Mamma Mia! In May 2012 Rita realized a lifelong dream with the debut of her solo album AM/FM. The album, which is on Decca Records, is an intimate, elegant and beautifully sung collection of classics from the '60s and '70s that together, make up the soundtrack to her life. Wilson recently contributed to Oprah Winfrey's "Just Say Hello" campaign combating loneliness with the recording of an original song by the same name. For A Tony Evening, Wilson will perform songs from AM/FM as well as her own compositions from her upcoming album.

Co-Chairing this year's event are Jada Loveless and Stephanie Blank. Loveless has spent much of her career working in high fashion, launching her accessories collection in 2006. The collection has been featured in Vogue, Town and Country, Harper's Bazaar and The Atlantan, where Loveless is a Contributing Fashion Editor. Loveless serves on the Board of Directors for the High Museum of Art, and chaired the 2009 opening Gala "Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius." She has also chaired UNICEF's "Designs of Hope," Senior Citizens Services' "A Meal to Remember," Atlanta Humane Society's "A Celebration of Dogs," and The National Black Arts Festival "Fine Art and Fashion" where she was an honoree in 2011. Blank is the founding chair of the governing board of GEEARS, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students. GEEARS helps businesses, government leaders, providers and parents maximize the economic return on the state's investments in early care and learning. Blank also serves as a member of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta System Board and on First Lady Deal's Children's Cabinet, and she is on the national board for Jumpstart, an early education program.

The Co-Chairs' goal for A Tony Evening is to provide Atlanta with a deeper understanding of what the Alliance Theatre provides to the community, and how arts in education at early stages of childhood lead to higher achievement and a lifetime of support and love of the arts.

Each year, the Alliance Theatre Acting Program and Education Department reaches close to 50,000 adults and students through performances, acting classes, drama camps, and in-school initiatives. The Alliance creates and produces plays for young audiences at every age level: from the Collision Project, where high school artists create and perform new work based on a classic text, to the ground breaking Theatre for the Very Young, creating interactive shows for infants and toddlers. An active participant in Georgia classrooms, the Alliance has developed programs using theatrical techniques to aid in student learning through storytelling and problem solving. The Alliance Theatre Institute for Educators and Teaching Artists equips teachers with theatrical techniques that link directly to school curriculum, align with the Georgia Performance Standards, and increase student learning. Theatre challenges audiences to think critically and care deeply about their communities and people around them from different walks of life.

Sponsors of the 2014 A Tony Evening will be invited to a Patron Party at the historic home of Melanie Turner and Stan Benecki, the "Pink Castle" on Pinestream Road. This party and stunning home tour take place on May 1, 2014.

Patron Sponsorships for A Tony Evening start at $1,500 and include tickets to the event and the Patron Party. Corporate sponsorships are also available. For more information, please contact Bryan Saxon by email at bryan.saxon@woodruffcenter.org or by phone 404.733.5186. Learn more about the event and the sponsorship levels at www.alliancetheatre.org/atonyevening.

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