What: The Hobby Center’s Raise the Curtain Gala Kickoff
Where: Saks Fifth Avenue
The Scoop: Retail therapy and show tunes? We’re in.
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts summoned a culture-savvy crowd amid the Designer Rotunda, where more than 80 guests floated between racks of high-fashion eveningwear and flutes of champagne, setting the stage — quite literally — for the upcoming Raise the Curtain gala, set for May 2.
With kickoff chairs Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman and Sandra Porter at the helm, the soirée served as a preview of what’s to come when gala chairs Mady and Ken Kades, alongside honorary chair Margaret Alkek Williams, will host the main event benefiting arts access and education. Saks delivered a runway moment with a curated edit of gowns by Naeem Khan, Talbot Runhof, and Monique Lhuillier.
A DJ spun a cheeky mix of show tunes (because subtlety is overrated), while trays of hors d’oeuvres and a steady pour of wine kept conversations flowing.
The undeniable star of the evening? A life-size cutout of Darren Criss — yes, the Glee star-turned-Tony Award winner Darren Criss — who will headline the gala. The cardboard crooner became the night’s most popular plus-one, posing patiently for selfies and stealing scenes without saying a single word.
The event will honor Rob Doty, whose tenure as board chair helped shape the Hobby Center’s evolving mission. Proceeds support programs like the ExxonMobil Discovery Series, which brings students to the theater at no cost.
Who: Vicki West and Ralph Burch, Pat Mitchell, Jane and Larry Wagner, Beth Wolff, Linda Lorelle and Lou Gregory, Edna Meyer-Nelson, Daniel Irion and Kirk Kveton, Jacquie Baly and James Craig, Charlene and Charles Nickson, Denise Bentham, Chris Kase, Susan Osterberg, Nancy Strohmer, Sharon Brier, Juan Stern and Susana Brener de Stern, Evelyn Leightman, Sue Burnett, Elsie Eckert, Sidney Faust, Lisa Graham-Garza, Rini Ziegler, Roz Pactor, Saula Valente, Stacey Lindseth, Petra Martinez, Karina and Carlos Barbieri, Dana Kervin, Jody Merritt, Tammie Johnson, and Kimberly and James Bell.
