Symphony Gala to Celebrate Showstoppers

The annual Gala to support the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra will bring the excitement of Broadway musicals to the Riverdome at Horseshoe Casino on Thursday evening, Sept. 6.

Anticipated to be a sold-out affair, the event will feature members of the Symphony led by Music Director Michael Butterman. Joining the Symphony onstage will be a variety of vocalists and dancers, including Shreveport-Bossier’s own Rocky Maddox, Gale Odom, Mike Martindale, Lester Senter Wilson, Emily Petzold and Margaret Williams Jones, who will perform both classic and modern Broadway hits.

Guests can look forward to walking the red carpet and posing for photos. Gala committee chair is Anne Wilson; event co-chairs are Jennifer Butterman and Leigh Anne Chambers. Celebrity emcees and auctioneers will be Dan and Jacque Jovic, both Emmy Awardwinning journalists and evening anchors of local KTAL-NBC 6 news.

The acts will be intermittent during the evening, giving guests time in between to enjoy dinner and visit the extensive silent auction, which already includes vacation homes, dinners, limousine service and a farm party for 100 guests. A live auction with a few big-ticket items will be preceded by a game of “Heads or Tails,” with the winner receiving a gift from Stephen Miller Fine Jewelry.

“Our gala is important to us because it is an opportunity to build a sense of community, camaraderie and common purpose among our supporters and patrons, while helping to raise funds that will enable us to fulfill our mission to bring great symphonic music to the people of the Ark-La-Tex,” said Butterman.

Individuals, companies and foundations are invited to sponsor the Gala or to donate goods or services to the auction. Three tiers of sponsorships each come with a VIP table for eight. New this year: “Walking ads” for Diamond and Gold sponsors will be carried by Centenary College student volunteers.

Funds raised at the Gala support not only the season performances but also the Symphony’s robust education and community engagement programs, like the Discovery Concerts for elementary students. Over the years, the Symphony has partnered with ArtSpace, Robinson Film Center, Shreveport Little Theatre, Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, Shreveport Opera, Strand Theatre and others, together contributing to the strength and depth of Shreveport’s performing arts community.

Having a vibrant symphony in Shreveport adds immeasurably to the region’s cultural vitality and quality of life, according to the maestro. When putting together each season, he says the goal is to provide a range of experiences that will speak to people of all backgrounds and ages, and to present concerts that are warm and welcoming to symphony aficionados and first-timers alike.

Just this year the orchestra has performed the music of the Rolling Stones, popular movie masterpieces by John Williams, songs by the well-known women of rock and roll, and works by internationally acclaimed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Guests who performed live were Erich Bergen, star of “Jersey Boys” and “Madam Secretary”; Broadway sensation Sutton Foster; cellist and Shreveport native John-Henry Crawford; the Wideman International

Piano Competition Gold Medalist Aristo Sham; and Ricardo Morales, principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The season finale on May 5 will present Grammy-nominated violin sensation

Philippe Quint.

Butterman, who is recognized for his commitment to creative artistry, innovative programming, and audience and community engagement, also serves as music director for the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic.

Now in its 69th year, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra is Louisiana’s oldest continually operating professional orchestra and one of the most respected regional orchestras in the U.S. Butterman is enthusiastic about the Symphony, its reach and its impact. “Great music provides opportunities that allow us, if even for a brief time, to transcend the everyday and to feel connected to something sacred and special. It is a privilege to be stewards of something so powerful and important.”

The night will close with the flair of a characteristic Broadway grand finale!

Save the date for Gala

SEPTEMBER 2018

6, SYMPHONY GALA 2018 6:30 P.M.

THE RIVERDOME AT HORSESHOE CASINO 

ATTIRE: BLACK TIE OPTIONAL
VALET PARKING AVAILABLE

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

DIAMOND: $10,000
• VIP TABLE FOR EIGHT
• FULL-PAGE 6, AD 2018 IN SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY PROGRAM FOR ONE YEAR
• RECOGNITION IN GALA PROGRAM
• “WALKING” AD AT GALA
• BOTTLE OF WINE AT TABLE GOLD: $5,000
• VIP TABLE FOR EIGHT
• HALF-PAGE AD IN SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY PROGRAM FOR ONE YEAR
• RECOGNITION IN GALA PROGRAM
• “WALKING” AD AT GALA
• BOTTLE OF WINE ON TABLE SILVER: $2,000
• VIP TABLE FOR EIGHT
• RECOGNITION IN GALA PROGRAM
• BOTTLE OF WINE ON TABLE

TO SPONSOR THE GALA 318.286.2056

TO DONATE AUCTION ITEMS 318.469.1127

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ($125) 318.286.2056

shreveportsymphony.com

– Elizabeth Beard Deal