Talk of the Town

On May 16th, I had the pleasure of attending the 2023-24 Season Reveal Gala benefiting The Civic Center Foundation. The organizers of the gala did a great job bringing together supporters for a spectacular night of fun and Y2K fashion. Guests were treated to the reveal of a wonderful Broadway in Crouse Hall series. The reveal was perfectly paired with delicious food, an entertaining live auction, and fantastic music.

The attire for the night was Y2K and attendees arrived in style. I felt like I was flipping through a Y2k Teen Vogue Prom Edition. Ann TruebloodStiles, Foundation Board Member, and Carmen Cecala-Wells, Foundation Director of Development, were prom court for the night. Ann wore a vibrant and electric hot pink off-theshoulder number with a ruffled collar as she channeled a vibe from Mean Girls. She lit up the room as she mingled with guests.

Nothing says Y2K gala like a shiny multicolor sequin dress. Carmen’s above knee-length dress caught both the light and the eye of everyone in the room. Both ladies were worthy of being crowned Miss Season Reveal Gala 2023. As amazing as the ladies looked, Roger Rex brought glimmer and glitter in his rainbow spangled sport coat. His show-stopping garb was the night’s winner!

Annie Frost of Frost Impressions in Wapak lit up the space in her fun and flirty orange halter neck dress. She beamed with chicness and class. The flowing style of Annie’s dress with the pompom earrings is the quintessential perfect summer dress. Mary Trueblood never disappoints. She looked elegant in her radiant blue dress with rhinestone trim. Vibrant colors and prints were popular at the gala. Suzanne Kelly clearly read the memo and wore a colorful dress with matching bracelet. Anne Gideon added a pop of color with her sharp orange sweater. Abe Ambroza, CEO of VMCCC, and his wife Sara came Y2Kcorrect, along with thier daughter Allie, in their red and black attire. Nothing says 2000 like a White Stripes concert t-shirt: nice touch Abe! You can always count on this stylish family to rock it. White may be the absence of color, but Theresa Tebben shimmered in her lovely white eyelet dress, while talking to Erika Robinson who dressed pretty in pink. Lima showed up and showed off their impeccable sense of fashion at the Series Reveal Gala.

Chef Alisa McPheron of Purple Feet Wine Boutique and Matthew Young, Vice President of Operations for VMCCC, treated guests to an around-the world culinary experience featuring dishes that were fetch (slang for cool in Mean Girls) at Y2K, from Asian sesame chicken salad to tuna tartare to seared beef with chimichurri sauce to adult lunchables. The best desserts were the tiramisu cups, cosmic brownies, and fried ice cream.

The excitement of the live auction was contagious. The bidding action was the product of auctioneer Jeff Tracy, VMCCC Foundation Board Trustee. Jeff has the distinct ability to part people from their money for the good of the cause. The number of people raising their hands to bid on dinners, bourbon, and other donated items was impressive. The announcement of the upcoming series line-up, Mean Girls (sponsored by Mercy Health), Come From Away (sponsored by CCR Realtors), Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Book of Mormon, got the crowd excited. Applause abounded as Shaunna Basinger sang; “I’d Rather Be Me” from Mean Girls. Shaunna’s soulful vocals were enjoyed by all.

Neighborhood

If you were not able to attend the 2023-24 Series Reveal Gala, you missed a great night out supporting a great cause. Do yourself a favor and mark your calendar to attend the 2024-25 Series Reveal Gala. I cannot wait to buy season tickets and don’t want to miss one show. Hope to see you there. And if you would like to be a sponsor, feel free to contact Carmen Cecala-Wells at ccecalawells@limaciviccenter.com.