Porchlight Music Theatre's Icons Gala to Celebrate Michael Bennett, 4/22

Porchlight Music Theatre today announced details of their annual benefit, The Icons Gala, Celebrating the Art of Michael Bennett, Sunday, April 22, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at The University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street.

The Icons Gala will include Mitzi Hamilton as the Michael Bennett Celebrant and the presentation of the 2012 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago to one of Chicago's leading actors, Hollis Resnik. Advance reservations are $100 per person, $25 per child 5 - 12 years, and children four years and younger are free. Tickets are $125 after April 6.

The seated brunch includes complimentary wine and a cash bar. Tickets are available at porchlighmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.777.9884.

The Icons Gala is the first of an annual event paying tribute to a person who has forever changed the landscape of American music theatre. This year's celebration of director/choreographer Michael Bennett is an elegant seated brunch benefit for Porchlight Music Theatre. In addition to Hamilton paying tribute to Michael Bennett and the Adkins award ceremony, there is entertainment by some of Chicago's favorites, Gene Weygandt, Summer Smart and Adrian Aguilar, under the direction of Porchlight Artistic Associate Lara Filip. The silent and live auctions include a one week stay in Tucson, Arizona, gift certificates to several area restaurants, theaters, museums, and sporting events including Court Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, Blue Man Group, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Chicago White Sox, passes for five to ten week class sessions at Ruth Page Art Center and Hyde Park Art Center, gift certificates to Chicago area spas, salons and health clubs including the East Bank Club and Siren Salon and original framed art work and photography from Harvey Friedman.

Resnik is the second recipient of the Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago. The Award, named for the beloved Chicago musical actor, is bestowed annually and celebrates an individual who has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the state of the art of Chicago music theater. The inaugural recipient was former Porchlight Artistic Director L. Walter Sterns. Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber spoke about The Icons Gala, "From Mitzi Hamilton speaking on the work of American musical legend Michael Bennett to honoring the multi-talented 2012 Guy Adkins honoree Hollis Resnik to entertainment featuring some of the brightest stars in Chicago theatre, The Icons Gala is truly an event that epitomizes who Porchlight is as an organization and celebrates our mission."