Auditorium Theatre Stage taken from Facebook Page
The Auditorium Theater Gala in Chicago was once again one of the highlights of my year. I was delighted to spend time with my Chicago friends attending the gala and hanging out for the rest of the weekend. This years gala was held Saturday, November 21 at the Auditorium Theatre celebrating the end of the Billy Strayhdorn Festival (a three month celebration honoring William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) and what would have been his 100th birthday ) http://www.billystrayhorn.com. The evening once again began with cocktails and d'oeuvres at the Hilton Chicago Normandie Lounge, followed by dinner in the Grand Ballroom featuring a live performance of Billy Strayhorn compositions by Orbert Davis and the Rich Daniels Quintet. Billy Strayhorn was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration lasting nearly three decades with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge", and "Lush Life". The event was attended by nearly 300 guests, and $215,000 was raised to support the initiatives of the Auditorium Theatre. Billy Strayhorn Lush Life Tribute. https://www.facebook.com/auditoriumtheatre/
Following the Gala, guests boarded trolleys to the Auditorium Theatre for VIP seating at the finale performance of "The Billy Strayhorn Festival, Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn." The fully staged salute to Strayhorn was directed by Bruce Mayhall Rastrelli and starred Broadway’s Darius de Haas, local cabaret icon Joan Curto, pianist Alan Broadbent, the Auditorium’s Too Hot to Handel Orchestra, Joel Hall Dancers and a 30-voice-all-male choir under the direction of Bill Chin.
It was an amazing evening celebrating an amazing American Jazz Icon.
Billy Strayhorn
This work is from the Carl Van Vechten Photographs collection at the Library of Congress.
