SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008

Imagination Stage (formerly BAPA/Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts), the region’s leading theatre arts organization dedicated to children,  will host its 29th Annual Gala, “Understanding Hearts: Celebrating Teachers and Other Heroes," chaired by Patrice and Scott Brickman and Marla and Robert Tanenbaum on Saturday, October 18, 2008. Honorary Chair is The Honorable Chris Van Hollen, US House of Representatives. Major sponsors are COMCAST, Ridgewells Caterers and the Floyd E. Davis Family Foundation.

New this year will be a silent auction that will open at 6:30 PM, featuring luxury items packaged in unique themes, such as Dinner for a Month, Margaritaville, and Grand Slam Package at the Nationals. Click here to see descriptions of all the exciting items in the auction catalogue. Absentee bidders can participate by filling out the absentee bid form with item and payment information and faxing it to Imagination Stage by noon on Friday, October 17, 2008.  

This elegant, entertaining evening continues at 7:30 with a 60-minute original musical theatre performance in the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre. Alumnus and Board Member, Mo Rocca, will start the show with his trademark humor.  Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Lt. Governor Brown will present the Imagination Award to Deborah S. Phelps, principal of a Baltimore County middle school, dedicated educator and proud parentof Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer. The production features performers from Imagination Stage’s professional theatre, student productions, student disability/inclusion ensemble and deaf ensemble.  A special theme of this year’s gala is the relationship between children and the mentors and teachers who understand their hearts, crystallizing important concepts and skills as they grow up and throughout their lives.  Children, teachers and notable adults from the region will express in word, song, American Sign Language and dance the importance of the teachers and mentors in their own lives.   Personal tributes are planned from Gov. Martin O'Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Treasurer Nancy Kopp, Connie Morella, Michelle Rhee, Dr. Jerry Weast, Ike Leggett, Mike Knapp, Kathleen Matthews and others. The performance will be followed by a sophisticated, lavish reception hosted and catered by Ridgewells. 

The Annual Gala is the largest fundraising event of the year for Imagination Stage, with a goal of $300,000.  Proceeds support the operating budget and theatre education programs at Imagination Stage. Approximately 400 donors, community leaders and elected officials are expected to attend.

For more information, or to secure sponsorships ($1,000 and up) or tickets ($250 per person), contact Barbara Rollins at 301-280-1625 or brollins@imaginationstage.org.    

Imagination Stage’s programming includes not only theatre arts education for ages 1-18 and innovative professional theatre, but nationally-recognized programs for children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This year, Imagination Stage will serve over 110,000 children, parents and educators.  Its mission is to produce theatre and arts education programs which nurture, challenge, and empower young people of all abilities.

Imagination Stage believes in the creative spirit, inherent in all children, and uses theatre to open hearts, inspire minds and ignite imaginations, since 1979.

Annual Gala 2007

Annual Gala 2006

Annual Gala 2005

Gala Sponsors:

Producers
COMCAST
Floyd E. Davis Family:
Ann and John Davis
Susan and Floyd Davis
Suzanne and Tim Davis
Ridgewells Caterer

Directors
Blair Family
Joe Bohm and George Fritz and Horizon Builders
Patrice and Scott Brickman
Raul and Jean-Marie Fernandez
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation/
Tanenbaum, Cohen, Lerner Families
Martin-Schaffer, Inc.

Choreographers
The Abramson Family
Art & Negative
Cathy S. Bernard
DC Magazine
Karen and Chris Donatelli
Embassy of Switzerland
FBR Capital Markets Corporation
Theo and Stephen A. Hayes
The Jacobs Family
PNC Bank
Diane and Arnold Polinger
Cherie and Charles Russo
Total Wine & More
Anna and Robert Trone
Mary and John Yeh

Musicians
Sally and Paul Amoruso
Marilyn Bagel
Susan and Bryan Brewer
Brewer/Lohse Family
Kristin and Eric Burka
Linda and J. J. Finkelstein
Bobbie and Tom Gottschalk
John Kane/Office Movers, Inc.
Shari and Davor Kapelina
M & T Bank
Carrie and David Marriott
The Pingho Family
Jennifer and Jim Signora
David and Arlene Slan
Julie Shanklin, Syzygy Event Productions
Transwestern/Mark S. Richardson
The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation
Unipark Valet and Parking Services
Walker & Dunlop
Melissa and Frank Williams

Actors
Mai and Jim Abdo
American Service Center, in memory of Cherry Adler
Ethan Assal and Lynne Detar
Lisa and Rollin M. Bell, III
Jeffrey Berman and Jackie Deitsch
The Bernstein Companies
The Borababy Family
Heidi and Michael Brodsky
Barbara B. Brown and Robert F. Berish
Alan and Nancy Taylor Bubes
Joanna Caplan and Robert Blaemire
John Carbonell
Amy and Lester Coffey
Bill Collins
Maureen and Tom Curley
Beverly B. Denbo
Ms. Darian Drescher
EagleBank
Mark Ein of Kastle Systems
Exquisite Designs
Robert E. Finfer Family Giving Fund
Bonnie Fogel
Forrester Construction Company
Marie and Sean Frazier
Marilyn and Michael Glosserman
David Harrison
Claudia and Tim Helmig
Lisa and John Henschel
Jill Herscot and Andrew Bartley
Heyman Mailing Services, Inc.
Susan and Tom Hougen
Amber and Walter Hsu
Susan and Wayne Hunley
Edward and Victoria Jaycox
Ann and Richard Kane
Victoria Corderi-Keane and Brian W. Keane
Kristin and Hanan Kivett
Janet Firth Kobren
Wendy and Tim Landres
Ike and Catherine Leggett
Edward Lenkin
Steve and Robyn Lustig
Mr. and Mrs. Brendan C. Magner
The Marshall B. Coyne Foundation
Rick Moyers and Jeremy Dolin
PEPCO
Sally Rosenberg
N. Ross Safford
J. M. and Mindy Schapiro
Brandi and David Schwartzenberg
Neal and Jennifer Simon and Highline Wealth Management
The Spicer Family
Janet Stanford and Leo P. Stone
Kim and Brian Sullivan
United Bank
Jennifer and David Whipp
Lori-Ann Wynter

*As of October 9, 2008