The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate the opening of its third season n Saturday, October 11, 2008 with its “Take Center Stage” Gala. The spectacular event will include a cocktail reception, a gala dinner featuring performances that unite the Center’s resident companies and the Center’s own resident artist Jencarlos Canela for the first time on one stage, and a magnificent after-party. This will be the first gala for the Adrienne Arsht Center since announcing its new name in January 2008. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the education and outreach programs of the Center.
Themed “Coming Up Roses,” Adrienne Arsht Center’s annual “Take Center Stage” Gala will take place at the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House beginning with twilight cocktails in the Arthur E. and Alice F. Adams Foundation Lobby at 7:00 p.m., followed by the main event and gala dinner on the Lynn Wolfson Stage hosted by Gala Honorary Chair Adrienne Arsht and a team of 20 Conducting Committee Members, including Missy Carricarte, Marlén Pernetti and Inés Rivero.
The celebration will continue into the evening with the “Coming Up Roses” After-Party produced by Gorillas Lifestyle Marketing and hosted by more than 20 of South Florida’s leading VIPs and South Beach nightlife impresarios, including Brian Antoni, Michael Capponi, Ingrid Casares and Helio Castroneves, to name a few. The After-Party will be held at the Peacock Foundation, Inc. Studio, which will be transformed into a nightclub featuring renowned DJs, cocktails and delectable desserts.
The theme of the event “Coming Up Roses” was inspired by the popular song from the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy. “In the musical Gypsy, — “Coming Up Roses” — stands for new beginnings – a fitting theme for this year’s gala,” commented Adrienne Arsht, who initially proposed the idea. “The Adrienne Arsht Center will continue to dazzle our community with extraordinary performances and educational programs. In our third year, we are committed to bringing a heightened level of awareness of the arts to South Florida. We are on our way to creating a world-class performing arts center that can become the mecca for performing arts nationwide.”
Showcasing the state-of-the-art performing arts center, the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Gala highlights the excellence of its internationally renowned resident companies, presenting the work of the Miami City Ballet; New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy; Florida Grand Opera and Concert Association of Florida on one stage in an exciting and surprise-filled evening designed by Le Basque Productions.
Adding to the evening’s entertainment line-up, the Center, which produces and presents approximately 300 world-class programs annually, will be represented with a solo performance by Jencarlos Canela. Canela is the Center’s newly named Resident Artist and recent star of the Center’s self-produced summer musical, Miami Libre.
Each of the performances will be complemented by the artistic cuisine designed by Restaurant Associates and beverages provided by Bacardi and Wines of Argentina.
Miami-Dade County has a unique quartet of world-renowned resident companies. The New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, under the leadership of Michael Tilson Thomas, is America’s only full-time orchestral academy dedicated to preparing gifted graduates of prestigious music programs for successful careers in orchestras and music ensembles. Edward Villella’s artistic direction of the Miami City Ballet takes the company’s reputation of excellence worldwide as one of the leading companies to preserve the choreography of Balanchine. Now under the direction of Albert Milano, the Concert Association of Florida has long established a reputation for excellence in its presentation of world-class artists through the work of founder Judy Drucker.
Robert Heuer guides the Florida Grand Opera, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Florida, continuing the stellar traditions established by Arturo di Filippi and Robert Herman. These four pillars of the arts have presented the very finest artists in the history of the 20th century in Miami. The Adrienne Arsht Center is proud to recognize these organizations as the principal fabric of the center for performing arts, as well as celebrate their individual accomplishments.
Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Center’s education and outreach programs. The Education and Outreach programs produced each season by the Center are dedicated to providing high-quality programs for children and their families that feature live theatrical experiences and active learning in the performing arts. These opportunities for exploration and self expression in the performing arts are designed to foster creative thinking skills, boost self esteem, and expand the horizons of the participants while introducing different aspects of music, dance, and theater. Through the inclusion of culturally diverse and inclusive programming, the Center is able to serve a wide range of constituents and provide opportunities for audience development.
This commitment is enhanced by the Center’s relationships with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local performing and teaching artists, arts organizations, and resident companies. In an effort to be a resource for and expand the reach of the performing arts, the Center is capitalizing on the relationship with the Miami-Dade County Public School system to provide teacher trainings for classroom and arts teachers throughout the county. An arts-infused curriculum invigorates the learning process, provides opportunities for creative problem solving, and makes class content accessible to multiple learning styles all while bringing the arts into a child’s everyday life.
Through all of its education and outreach initiatives, the Adrienne Arsht Center is committed to making the arts accessible to the citizens of Miami-Dade County and South Florida.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Adrienne Arsht Center Annual Anniversary Gala are available by calling 786.468.2249 or by emailing gala@arshtcenter.org. Separate after-party tickets are also available. Additional information regarding ticket prices and details can be found by visiting http://www.arshtcenter.org.
