On March 23, Stages transformed its Gordy theater with shades of pink. A pink carpet led to a floral photo wall. Inside the theater's lobby, the drink of the evening was the Bella Luna made with gin, elderflower, violet syrup, and lemon.

People donned fur capes and fuchsia clutches, dapper tuxedos and sequined suits. Guests in sparkles and crystals, velvet and lace, black tie, and fascinators filled the space for an all-out bash honoring Kenn McLaughlin, the theater's artistic director, who is retiring at the end of this season.

The evening, 2024 Gala at the Gordy, raised $1.2 million for the company's ongoing impact on the Houston theater community, and also raised the rafters in its praise for the leader who helmed the company for 23 years, helping to leave an indelible stamp on the city's arts community, and cementing Stages as a place where new works are incubated and embraced.

Gala co-chair, Stages board president and chair emeritus George Lancaster quoted the motto painted on the wall of the Gordy in his remarks.

"We sit together in the dark to know how to love each other in the light," he said. "Kenn has embodied that spirit."

The centerpiece of the evening was a performance on the Sterling Stage, A performance of songs that were significant to McLaughlin's time at Stages served as the evening's centerpiece. or to him, personally. Houston actors Kiaya Scott , Brad Goertz, Teresa Zimmermann, Camryn Nunley, Susan Koozin, and others sang selections from Mack and Mabel, Once On This Island, The Fantasticks, and Thunder Knocking on the Door, among others. A video alternated with the performances, with members of the Stages team and the theater's supporters offering compliments to McLaughlin for his leadership, collaboration, and encouragement.

"'Do you like Star Wars?' he asked me on day," said Elizabeth A.M. Keel, a Houston playwright and Stages' community engagement manager. "I said yes, and Kenn went, 'Great. Great.' And six months went by, and he asked me if I still liked Star Wars, and then he was hiring me to write Panto Star Force. And the whole time, he'd been researching and doing all the things required to make the magic happen."

McLaughlin's try-all-the-things approach was lauded by many, including Gala co-chair and Stages' on-stage favorite Sally Edmunson.

"Yes, I believe in you," she mimicked him. "Yes, try it. Yes, you can do it. Yes, I am here for you."

Jackson and Company catered, and the cocktail party featured hors d'oeuvres like fried coconut shrimp with mango jalapeno chutney, miso duck spring rolls, and a Manchego filled potato croquette with fig jam. Dinner began with a salad of white asparagus and grapefruit. The main course consisted of a dual entree of petit filet mignon and snapper with tomato and Castelvetrano vierge. The dessert trio was a purple affair, coordinating with the evening's colors, of miniature blackberry balsamic gelato, lemon blueberry cake, and a pea flower French macaron.

Lancaster's fellow co--chairs Kay Bruce, Judy and Jim Nicklos, Cabrina and Steven Owsley and honorary co-chairs Sally and Philip Edmundson, Glenda and Russell Gordy, and Becca Cason Thrash and John Thrash welcomed guests, and urged attendees to bid on live auction packages such as a fantastic stay in Paris, complete with Polaris-class seats on United Airlines.

Photo by Jacob Power Photography

Dana Wolf Pauly, Erika Mandel, Stacy Soefer Gomar, Julie Atlas Taylor, and Nicole Sofer Lowenstern.

Following dinner, guests danced in the Gordy's lobby, to tunes by DJ Mohawk.

“With the knowledge of Kenn’s retirement, the gala was also the perfect way to celebrate his artistry, inspiration and mentorship as an industry legend," said Lancaster. "Under his visionary leadership, Stages has produced more than 100 productions, including record-breaking hits and pivotal world and U.S. premieres. We are truly grateful to Kenn for everything he has done, and we look forward to entering into an ambitious new future at Stages.”