The Broadmoor's new
Colorado Hall hosts The Colorado Festival of World Theatre's Gala Street
Theatre performers entertained guests as they arrived at The Colorado Festival
of World Theatre's Gala last month at The Broadmoor's new Colorado Hall. Mary
Ellen McNally chaired the gala attended by more than 400 guests who gathered to
enjoy dinner and dancing to the sounds of Peter Duchin and his orchestra. During
dessert, Broadway performer Lillias White gave an electric performance which drew
both applause and laughter from the crowd. A few days later, festival board members,
major donors, interns, staff and guests were hosted by Alinda and Jim Wikert for
a cocktail buffet at their home in the Garden of the Gods. An electrical outage
plunged gala patrons and theatre luminaries into the dark during the first part
of the evening. The irony was that the festival was to begin the next day with
Sir Peter Shaffer's "Black Comedy," a farce on the London electrical
outages featuring a hilarious reversal of light and dark. Candles provided a romantic
touch as guests arrived and mingled in the home and on the grounds with spectacular
views of the Garden of the Gods Park. When the lights returned, actress Lynn Redgrave
presented Sir Peter Shaffer with the Donald Seawell Award for Outstanding Achievement
in Theatre. The acknowledgement of his lifetime achievement in the arts, including
"Amadeus," "Equus" and "Royal Hunt of the Sun" was
also a celebration of his 80th birthday. Seawell, founder of the Denver Center
for the Performing Arts and honorary chairman of the festival, looked on with
obvious pleasure. Enjoying the gala events were festival CEO James B. Hayes and
his daughter Hilarie; President Bill Stohlmann and his wife Sue; festival founders
Suzy Bassani and Carol Sturman and their husbands Pino Bassani and Eddie Sturman;
Beth and Paul Byer; Warren and Elizabeth Youngquist; Pat and Tom Cone; Executive
Director John Sheehan; Zoya Miller; honorary co-chairs Bruce and Anne Shepard;
Tim Hoiles and Jacque Walsh; Richard Nehring and Brooke Bower; Jerry and Patti
Dickman; Jon and Becky Medved; Jan and Gary McCauley; David and Karen Whitaker;
Rich Schell and Greg Wragge; Bill and Kathy Hybl; Lana Yeakel; Ike Padgett; and
Randy Weeks, The 10-day festival featured 33 performances of seven productions
in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park.
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