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A Gala to Remember!
The Can Can girls raised their skirts, our generous donors raised their paddles — and Meany Center raised more than $500,000 dollars at this year’s Center Stage Gala!
It was certainly a night to remember as our stage stood in for the Moulin Rouge and our guests enjoyed cocktails, crepes and sparkling conversation during an action-packed evening that included two live performances, an auction and Michelle’s sneak peek at the upcoming 2024–25 Season.
We began the evening with 2024 Grammy winner for best global music album, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, accompanied by percussionist Sriram Ramesh, playing an exquisite set that combined both the traditional and the innovative from North Indian Classical to jazz, folk, and blues.
A lively auction was followed by Michelle’s preview of the artists appearing on our next Season. Exciting as the preview was, our donors’ unparalleled generosity as they raised their paddles in support of Meany artistic and educational programs really raised got the room abuzz.
At the end of the evening, Olga Suppuzhova, prima ballerina of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, expired with gusto as the Dying Swan, and guests were wiping tears (of laughter) and picking feathers out of their cocktails in the wake of her farewell flutter.
But no fallen fowl could dampen the high spirits when MC Scott VanGerpen announced the final tally: a record-breaking $520,250! All of us at Meany are so grateful to all of you whose incredible support on this one night helps make possible everything we do the whole year long.
If you couldn’t join us this year in person, there’s still time to DONATE TODAY
— Mille mercis from your Meany amis!