For over two decades The Hobby Center has brought the best of Broadway to the banks of Buffalo Bayou, but at the “Raise the Curtain” gala the stars truly aligned for a million dollar night of glamour and surprises. Gala chairs Mady and Ken Kades, with honorary chair Margaret Alkek Williams, invited 240 supporters of the Hobby to take their places onstage and play featured roles in raising $815,000 for the Hobby Center’s education programs.

The evening held all of the drama and magic of a golden age musical. The Events Company transformed the Sarofim Hall stage wings into a 1920s inspired speakeasy and center stage into opulent dining space rivaling the most extravagant Broadway design, while City Kitchen delivered a medley of divine wining and dining. Hearts were tugged by a video tribute honoring Rob Doty for five years of exceptional leadership as Board Chair.

Then, Hobby Center’s president and CEO Mark Folkes revealed the thrilling plot twist, a $5 million gift from Ken and Mady Kades to support new initiatives and improvements across the Hobby Center campus. Next came the sensational big reveal that one of those improvements would be the future Kades Club, a new Hobby Center hospitality lounge that will be the ultimate place to see and be seen in the Theater District.

The resulting standing ovation from guests brought the house down, but soon stage and screen star Darren Criss made his big entrance to raise the roof back up with a special concert of some of his favorite songs. The Golden Globe, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning Criss dazzled with his musical versatility, as he hopped from the piano to guitar, while singing pop and rock favorites, old Broadway standards, and even a few of his own compositions. In between songs, he also sang praises to arts education and the importance of the Hobby Center’s programs for students.

In one of the most joyous moments of the night, Criss emphasized the power of the arts to light the future for kids and young adults by bringing another special guest to the stage for a duet. Bianca Ramirez, a senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts didn’t seem to mind she would have to be a little late to her prom that night so she could join Criss in a show stopping rendition of the Little Shop of Horrors song “Suddenly Seymour.” Ramirez will attend Carnegie Mellon University this fall, with a focus in musical theater, but we already see Broadway lights in her future.

A night at the theater wouldn’t be complete without a post-show drink and snack, so after the performance guests headed back to the speakeasy for a final glass of bubbly and perhaps even a wrapped McDonald's breakfast sandwich and pie courtesy of Mady and Ken Kades.

Seen in all their Broadway glam were: Pam Doty; Christopher Johnston; Tom and Lesha Elsenbrook; Jon Gibbs and Amy Cope-Gibbs; Matt and Liz Furman; Edna Meyer-Nelson; Claudia Kreisle; Alvin Abraham; Anna and Walker Hobby; Miles Marks; Marc and Jeri Shapiro; Greg and Terri Ebel; Ralph Burch and Vicki West; George Lancaster; Kate Dearing Fowler and Steve Fowler; Ange and David Finn, Jacquie Baly and James Craig; Tracey Shappro; Charles and Kerry Walker; Matt Henneman; Kimberly Cutchall; Dick and Jane Schmitt; Chau Nguyen and Jay Sears; Julie and Robin Goytia; Brooke and Shahin Naghavi; Kirk Kveton and Daniel Irion; Jonathan and Ann Ayre; Cheryl Byington; Sandra Porter; Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman; Brenda Jones; Jo Furr; Linda Padon; Maripat Sexton; Jim Nicklos; Pat Mitchell; Sharon and Mike Brier; Trini Mendenhall-Royalty and John Royalty; Sidney Faust, Elsie Eckert; Jason and Laura Logan; Tim and Deedra Moe; Amy Leblanc; and Tammy and Wayne Nguyen.

Photo by Michelle Watson/Catch Light Group

Local student Bianca Ramirez performs with Darren Criss at the Hobby Center Raise the Curtain Gala.