The elegant Red Lacquer Room of the Palmer House
By Megan McKinney
They are two Chicago grandes dames: The Auditorium Theatre, celebrating her 130th birthday this month, and The Palmer House, depending how you are counting, either 148 or 144–or even as young as 94. Therefore, when 240 people came together in the Palmer House Red Lacquer Room for The Auditorium’s 2019 Annual Fall Gala, it was a stately occasion.
Rich Regan, Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner.
A special feature of the evening was the presentation of the fourth annual Adler & Sullivan Award to Patti Eylar and Charles Gardner, honoring them for their longtime commitment to the Auditorium Theatre and the arts in Chicago. The presentation was made by Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan. Gala co-chairs were Pamela Crutchfield, Helen Hall Melchior, Dia S. Weil and Edward S. Weil, Jr.
Dave Moore and Mayari Pritzker.
Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE with Rich Regan.
Auditorium Theatre Chief Development Officer Judie Moore Green and Kathleen Amatangelo.
Honoree Patti Eylar with Choreographer Randy Duncan.
Rich Regan with Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater Executive Director Jorge Perez.
Auditorium Theatre Board Vice-Chair Tom Baryl, Auditorium Theatre Lifetime Board member Ed Weil and Auditorium Theatre Board Chair Ann Nash.
Rich Regan with Roosevelt University President Ali Malekzadeh.
Geneva Calloway and Robert Calloway.
Auditorium Theatre Board member Helen Hall Melchior, Honorees Charlie Gardner and Patti Eylar, Auditorium Theatre Lifetime Board member Ed Weil and Pamela Crutchfield.
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre Co-founders Joe Cerqua and Wilfredo Rivera.
Dr. James Fondriest and Katy Sutter.
Mitchell Sabshon with Auditorium Theatre Board member Joan Colmar.
Joffrey Ballet dancers Miguel Angel Blanco and April Daly.
Serj Kiyasov and Veronika Chaplii.
Joffrey Ballet dancers Anais Bueno and April Daly with Amelia Silva.
Chelsea Hoy.
Pamela Crutchfield, Chicago Human Rhythm Project Director, and Co-founder Lane Alexander.
Auditorium Theatre Chief Financial Officer Rachel Freund.
Robert Wierema and Joffrey Ballet dancer Anais Bueno.
Linda Cushman andJeffrey Rubenstein.
Laurie Popovich and Cindy Soper.
Chicago Dancers United Executive Director Kesha Pate, Auditorium Theatre Chief Marketing Officer Colleen Flanigan, See Chicago Dance Interim Executive Director Surinder Martignetti.
Sondra Berman Epstein and Julian Oettinger.
Bruce Crown and Deb Crown.
Rich Regan with Auditorium Theatre Board Chair Ann Nash.
Photo Credit:
Robert Carl
