Kansas City Repertory Theatre Announces Plans For 2018 Fearless Fête

Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Executive Director, Angela Lee Gieras, has announced plans for the organization's 2018 Gala, A Fearless Fête. This year's Fête, Live from Kansas City ... It's Saturday Night, features performances by internationally-acclaimed comedy troupe, The Second City and resident comedian at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Seth Herzog. The annual fundraising event, hosted this year by Leo and Yvette Morton, takes place on Saturday, May 19 at 7 pm at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus.

"KCRep's Gala has proven to be one of the most innovative and engaging parties in town, and we're thrilled to share our stage with the innovative team from The Second City and Seth Herzog at this truly one-of-a-kind event," said Gieras.

The world's premier comedy club, comedy theatre and school of improvisation, The Second City is celebrating nearly sixty years of cutting-edge satirical sketches and revues that have launched generations of comedy's biggest and brightest stars. The Second City alumni list reads like a 'Who's Who of Ha Ha,' and includes the likes of Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Keegan-Michael Key, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey.

Seth Herzog is an actor and producer, known for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014), Role Models (2008) and 30 Rock (2006).

A Fearless Fête 2018 will be chaired this year by Leo and Yvette Morton.

In August of 2017, Leo E. Morton was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of DeBruce Companies, a private investment firm managing a diverse portfolio of private equity and other asset class investments across a broad range of industries, including biotech, energy, manufacturing, technology and real estate.

Mr. Morton served as Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City for over nine years, three as Chairman of the Trustees Board. Prior to assuming the Chancellorship, Morton had been senior vice president and chief administrative officer for Aquila Inc.

Morton's management career spans 40 years in a wide range of engineering and manufacturing positions. He is currently on the board of directors and executive committees for more than a dozen organizations, including the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, Truman Medical Centers, the H&R Block Bank Board, Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KCNoVA), the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and Prep-KC, a major regional youth educational development organization to list just a few.

For his commitment to justice, Morton received the Henry W. Bloch Human Relations Award from the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee. The Black Family Technology Awareness Association presented Morton with the prestigious African American STEM Pioneer Award. In 2014, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce named Mr. Morton Kansas Citian of the Year.

Yvette Morton is a nationally recognized visual artist who specializes in paint, textile and fabric designs. She has created a quilt for the late Luther Vandross and has been featured locally in the Crossroads Arts District. Like her husband, she is active in the community. Yvette is a Women's Employment Network General Board member, founder of the Johnson County King Holiday Committee, Inc., a former member of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City Board of Governors and an organizer for the Annual Women of Color Networking Soul Food Dinner.

The fun-filled FEARLESS FÊTE will include the performance by The Second City and Seth Herzog, a raffle and live auction with exclusive and unique experiences, and of course, delicious food and inventive cocktails. Proceeds from A FEARLESS FÊTE support KCRep's nationally acclaimed productions, the OriginKC: New Works Program and over 13,000 students served each season through its education programs.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre's exciting 2018/19 was recently announced by Artistic Director Eric Rosen. In addition to its popular OriginKC: New Works Program supported by A FEARLESS FETE, the mainstage season will include the World Premiere musical Last Days of Summer, John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men, the Tony Award-nominated Indecent by Paula Vogel, the Off-Broadway sensation School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Kate Hamill's lauded adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Kansas City's favorite holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol.

Financial assistance for the 2017/18 season at Kansas City Repertory Theatre is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment of the Arts.

Tickets for THE FEARLESS FÊTE may be purchased by visiting http://fearlessfete.kcrep.org/ or by calling Amanda Middaugh, Manager of Corporate and Special Events Fundraising, at 816-235-1489.

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