STAGES St. Louis Raises More Than $320,000 at 2015 Applause! Gala

On Friday, November 13th, 2015 STAGES St. Louis celebrated the countdown to its 30th Anniversary Season at its fourteenth annual Applause! Gala, a benefit to support the organization's Education and Artistic Programs. Applause! 2015 raised proceeds of over $320,000. This year's numbers came on the heels of a spectacular 29th Season, which exceeded revenue goals with nearly $2 million in ticket sales. Judy and Jerry Kent served as the event's Presenting Sponsors and Honorary Co-Chairs, with Lynne Turley as Committee Chairperson. STAGES stars Kari Ely and Steve Isom co-hosted the night.

The evening's entertainment featured STAGES Music Supervisor Lisa Campbell Albert alongside stars from STAGES' 2015 Season, Julie Cardia, Morgan Amiel Faulkner, and April Strelinger, in a salute to Broadway. The evening also featured inspiring performances from the STAGES Performing Arts Academy's wonderfully talented performance groups, including Troupe Broadway, TeamSTAGES, Triple Threats, and the newly-formed Triple Threats TEENS.

In 2015, the STAGES Performing Arts Academy celebrated its eleventh anniversary, with its ever-expanding programs educating over 3,200 students annually. Since its inception, the STAGES Urban Arts Initiative has conducted more than 190 outreach programs for free or reduced cost to a record-breaking number of 4,000 students, which are fostered by over 50 school and community partnerships. Access the Arts, the only program of its kind in the St. Louis area, now serves more than 450 students with physical, cognitive, and developmental delays. The Academy offers over 125 classes annually, never turning away a qualifying student. These amazing and vital educational programs are largely made possible by the money raised at the Applause! Gala.

Over 400 supporters attended the 2015 Applause! Gala at The Ritz-Carlton in Clayton. Notable attendees included:

Pete & Sharon Abel

Elizabeth Bourne

Michael & Kathy Caton

Jim & Lisa Curran

Tom & Cathy Day

Major & Lisa DeBerry

Rick Dildine

Dan & Lynn Dolan

Richard & Marci Eisen

Paul & Debbie Estes

Michael & Elizabeth Gibbons

Susan M. Hale

Leon & Nancy Hall

Rick & Laura Hawk

Bob & Carol Jones

Myles & Elaine Kelly

Judy & Jerry Kent

Ken & Phyllis Langsdorf

Mark & Sharon Mason

Denise & Andy Miller

Merry & Jim Mosbacher

James Murphy

James & Carmeline Newell

Ridley & Marcelle Pearson

Cynthia Prost

Michelle & Don Reedy

Alison & Terry Roberts

Robert & Celeste Roberson

Donna Rogers

Tom & Cathy Sakiyama

Wayne & Margaret Smith

Mary Strauss

Jim & Barb Talleur

Lynne & Jim Turley

Bill & Linda Welborn

Ed & Janet Wheatley

Dave White

Pam Wissore &Vicky Krulic

Michael & Becky Zaccarello

Executive Producer Jack Lane stated, "2015 certainly saw some monumental moments and, as we look forward to 2016 and STAGES' 30th anniversary, we are both thrilled and honored to be able to celebrate our recent accomplishments with our incredible family of friends and supporters. We are extremely grateful for their generous gifts, which enable us to continue providing the region with the highest quality Musical Theatre performances and educational opportunities."

STAGES St. Louis's celebratory 30th Season will include the modern romantic musical comedy direct from Broadway and in its Mid-Western premiere, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, featuring a mad-cap wedding celebration with unexpected twists and turns and a heartwarming message. The season continues with one of STAGES' most frequently requested return shows, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, a delightful and hilarious testament to the transformative power of musical theatre. Audiences will rejoice for this season's grand finale, SISTER ACT, one of Broadway's most recent smash-hit musicals with an uplifting and miraculous tale of self-discovery and finding one's true calling. The fun begins June 3 and continues through October 9, 2016. In addition, the 2016 Season Theatre for Young Audiences production will feature Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND in June.

STAGES St. Louis is the region's foremost not-for-profit company committed to preserving and advancing the art form of Musical Theatre through excellence in performance and education. In 2016, STAGES celebrates its 30th year of producing Broadway-quality theatre, presenting 144 performances from May through October to nearly 50,000 patrons, during its mainstage season.

STAGES opened in 1987 with a budget of $50,000 and a part-time seasonal staff of eight. Today, the company employs a full-time staff of 25 overseeing a budget of $4.7 million. During the performance season, an additional 150 actors and crew members bring the productions to life. To date, STAGES professionals have produced 103 musicals, with nearly 3,400 performances, playing to more than one million patrons.

To post a comment, you must register and login.