Photos: American Repertory Theater Raises $1.35 Million & Honors Linda Henry at Gala

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., raised $1.35 million in support of the theater's mission to expand the boundaries of theater through its artistic productions and educational offerings at its annual fundraising gala held last Monday, June 6. After postponing the planned 2020 celebration just days before it was to occur, supporters and friends of the A.R.T. gathered on the Radcliffe Quadrangle at Harvard University to celebrate the galvanizing impact of the arts and to honor Linda Henry.

Check out photos below!

Maureen & Mike Sheehan and Amanda & Sam Kennedy co-chaired the gala that recognized Henry for the many ways she impacts the community through her work as CEO of Boston Globe Media Partners, co-founder of HubWeek, a director of the Red Sox Foundation, and a supporter of A.R.T. and the arts. "In 2019, I was fortunate enough to join Linda for a conversation as part of HubWeek, where Linda pointed out that the arts matter to technology, to science, to health and well-being, to business and entrepreneurship because the arts-in particular the theater-put issues and difficult concepts into a human context, and through empathy and storytelling, deepen and complexify our understanding and points of view," said Paulus as she introduced Henry. "Linda, thank you for your unwavering support of the A.R.T. and for all of your service to the Boston area and beyond. You are a true champion for the arts."

To celebrate Linda's impact, ??tribute videos were created with interviews from Governor Charlie Baker, Sue Brady, Wendy Dodson, Stacey L. & David E. Goel, Julie Gordon, John Henry & Family, Diane Hessan, Dr. Susan Hockfield, Abby Johnson, Amanda & Sam Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy, Dr. Bridget Terry Long, Biz Morris, Diane Patrick, Diane Paulus, Bryan Rafanelli, Maureen & Mike Sheehan, Gloria Steinem, and Linda Whitlock.

Award-winning musician, poet, and producer and A.R.T. Trustee Tim Hall served as host of the evening, which was directed by Torya Beard (Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic, Waitress) and included performances by acclaimed tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel and vocalist Crystal Monee Hall from Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic, the first production to welcome A.R.T. audiences back to in-person performances following the COVID shutdown. They were accompanied by musicians Jordan Carter (WILD: A Musical Becoming, Macbeth In Stride) Anibal Cesar Cruz (Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic), and Bobhartley "Boush" Etienne (Macbeth In Stride). Members of Boston Children's Chorus who performed in the A.R.T.'s December 2021 premiere of WILD: A Musical Becoming performed the show's finale, "Becoming."

Recent Harvard College graduate Julia Riew '22 (Thumbelina: A Little Musical, Jack and the Beanstalk: A Musical Adventure) spoke to those in attendance about the support and mentorship she received from A.R.T. as a student discovering she wanted to forge a career as a musical theater writer. She then performed "Dive," a song from her new musical Shimcheong: A Folktale, which has become a Tik-Tok sensation. The evening concluded with a surprise performance of "Get Down" from SIX, performed by Broadway and A.R.T. cast member Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert.

The gala's live auction included tickets to five shows from the Summer Concert Series at Fenway Park, a trip to the Edinburgh International Festival with A.R.T., tickets and behind-the-scenes experiences at SIX on Broadway, a custom-designed 1776-style coat by designer Emilio Sosa, a Jagged Little Pill package including tickets to the run in San Francisco, and a 1776 package featuring a Broadway Opening Night experience.

Additional notable guests at the event included Stacey L. and David E. Goel; Harvard basketball coach Tommy Amaker and Stephanie Pinder-Amaker; Chair of the A.R.T.'s Board of Trustees Andy Ory and Linda Hammett Ory; Former Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Joe O'Donnell; Barr Foundation Co-founder Barbara Hostetter; A.R.T. Trustee Paul Buttenwieser and Katie Buttenwieser; former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and former First Lady of Massachusetts Diane Patrick; John Henry; Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council; and Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dr. Bridget Terry Long.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.