Saturday, October 13, 2007

“We really felt like stars, and it’s a terrific gift for
any kid to feel like a star.”
Alumna Diane Gottschalk Murray, Teacher

”Imagination Stage helped me to be whatever I wanted to be.”
Alumnus Adrian Alleyne, Senior Manager of Client Engagement, Blackboard, Inc.

The You Can’t Stop the Beat! Gala played to a packed house of energized Imagination Stage supporters and friends - a great time was had by all, and $280,000 was raised to support the programs of Imagination Stage! 

The performance featured Imagination Stage (formerly known as BAPA) alumni/ae from all walks of life, including satirist/writer/performer Mo Rocca among many others. Mo’s trademark humor got the crowd laughing as he congratulated Imagination Stage:

“We’re not at Whittier Woods anymore! When I started with this group, it was just me and Mickey and Judy looking for scrap metal and flotsam to put on the show – this [building] is amazing, I can’t believe where I am!  I was a theatrical vigilante – a performer without a venue – and I had a lot of physical, mental and emotional energy that really needed to be channeled into something constructive and lawful, otherwise who knows, something horrible would have happened.  Imagination Stage was the first time that I made the connection between hard work and fun.  It wasn’t like day care, it wasn’t babysitting – we were going there to work.  And I still surprise myself with how disciplined I was at getting off book in those days, learning my lines and really being eager for rehearsal.  And the harder we worked, the more fun it was!”

Alumni/ae from around the country were featured throughout the evening, both in video clips and onstage, and included teachers, actors, software engineers, business consultants, and even a neurologist.  All spoke about how their early experiences at Imagination Stage (BAPA)had given them skills and opportunities that shaped the adults they have become.  Many were able to attend the Gala in person, and took a bow for their contribution to the performance.

Academy Award-winning singer and Broadway actress Maureen McGovern accepted the Imagination Award for Children, the Arts and Philanthropy in honor of her work with her “Works of Heart” Foundation for Music and Healing. Ms. McGovern treated the audience to an a capella rendering of the song "Never Neer Land" and said,

“With so many schools cutting back or flat out eliminating the arts, it is so important that a place like Imagination Stage exists. I would have given anything as a child back in Youngstown, Ohio, to be able to come and learn at such an extraordinary place as this. The walls speak of love and creativity and mentoring. To give children the kind of environment that provides the safety and freedom to explore, create, dream and challenge themselves, is an incredible gift!”

Students from the Deaf Access Company, AccessAbility Theatre, the Speak-Out On Stage Jr. Company, the Summer Showcase, the Imagination Stage Dance Ensemble, and Imagination Stage classes took the stage to present selections from their performances of the previous year. The professional company presented an excerpt from New Kid, a play from our 2006-2007 season that cleverly puts the audience in the shoes of the new immigrant in order to address the serious issues of bullying and xenophobia.

One of the many highlights of the evening was the attendance of The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, who served as Honorary Chair.  At the VIP Reception which preceded the performance, she spoke about her support for arts and education and said “I salute you for what you are doing to make the future brighter for our children and for our country.” She was introduced by Imagination Stage Board President Wayne Hunley and Congressman Chris Van Hollen and serenaded by Imagination Stage student Elijah Lawrence.

We were also honored by the attendance of Nancy Kopp, Maryland State Treasurer; Peter Franchot, Maryland State Comptroller; State Senator Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.; and State Delegates Willam Bronrott, Jane Lawton, and  Susan Lee.  We were very pleased to welcome from the Montgomery County Council Valerie Ervin, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal,  and Duchy Trachtenburg; and from the Montgomery County Board of Education, Christopher Barclay, Dr. Judy Docca, and Patricia O’Neill.

Additional entertainment was provided by Soul in Motion Players’ African drumming and pianist Rickey Payton Sr. This year’s raffle item – a beautiful diamond necklace – was won by Nathan Gersten. 

Many thanks to Gala Chairs Theo Hayes, Amber Hsu, and Mary Kane; and to our major sponsors – the Floyd E. Davis Family Foundation, Rebecca and Richard Kay, Marriott International, Inc., David T. Blair, Patrice and Scott Brickman, FBR Capital Markets, The Jacobs Family, Martin-Schaffer, Inc., Melissa and Frank Williams, Ridgewells Caterer and COMCAST – for their support of the Gala. For a full list of sponsors and donors, click here.

You can see the “Red Carpet” video short about the You Can’t Stop the Beat!  Gala on the CNN Headlines channel of COMCAST.

We hope to see you at our Gala next year (October 18, 2008)!  Contact Barbara Rollins at 301-280-1625 or brollins@imaginationstage.org for information on how to be a sponsor or to buy tickets.