Performances by Dionne Warwick and Michael Feinstein and a heartfelt speech by songwriter Paul Williams were among the highlights last Saturday at the Center for the Performing Arts’ Songbook Celebration presented by Krieg DeVault.
The eighth annual gala at the Palladium began with the First Merchants Bank Cocktail Reception and continued with an elegant dinner, a live auction, performances and the Great American Songbook Foundation’s induction of Williams and legendary composer-bandleader Duke Ellington into the Songbook Hall of Fame. The black-tie evening netted more than $300,000 to support the nonprofit Center’s artistic and educational programming.
President/CEO Jeffrey C. McDermott of the Center for the Performing Arts welcomes attendees to the gala, which carried the piano-inspired theme A Grand Night! (Photo provided by Sara C Imagery)
“Once again, the outpouring of generosity from our Central Indiana and national supporters has far surpassed our expectations,” Center President/CEO Jeffrey C. McDermott said. “The Center is so fortunate to be part of an extended community that believes in our mission.”
Williams, whose credits include “Evergreen,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainbow Connection” and many other hits, surprised the capacity crowd with an unexpected contribution to the night’s philanthropy. Offering to write a personalized song for the highest bidder, he awarded the prize to two attendees who bid $35,000 each, generating a quick $70,000 for the Foundation’s historical preservation initiatives.
Currently serving as president of the ASCAP performance-rights organization, Williams also delivered a touching tribute to his songwriter brother Mentor Williams, who died in 2016. Paul Williams led the attendees in a brief sing-along of Mentor’s R&B classic “Drift Away,” which has been recorded by many artists.
“Mentor Williams,” he said, looking skyward, “you just got inducted into the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame.”
Dancer-choreographer Mercedes Ellington, herself a Broadway notable, accepted the Hall of Fame award on behalf of her late grandfather Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. She recalled accompanying him and his orchestra on a historic 1971 State Department tour of the Soviet Union, stoking international trade by arriving with a stash of Pepsi and returning with a cache of Stolichnaya vodka.
The tribute to Ellington included a performance of his standard “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” by 16-year-old Sadie Fridley of Syracuse, N.Y., who earned the title of 2019 Songbook Youth Ambassador in July at the Foundation’s annual Songbook Academy® summer intensive.
Saturday’s program also included tributes to recent Hall of Fame inductees Tony Bennett and Doris Day. The Songbook Foundation presented the award to Bennett when he performed at the Palladium in May. Feinstein visited Day at her California home in April for her 97th birthday celebration, shortly before her death in May.
Dionne Warwick delivers a headline performance of her hits to close Saturday’s program at the Palladium. (Photo provided by Sara C Imagery)
Another surprise at the event was the introduction of the recently crowned Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Payton May of Vancouver, Wash., who attended as a guest of Songbook Foundation supporters Paul and Sue Lowden. McDermott served as a judge at the Miss America-affiliated national scholarship pageant, which took place in July in Orlando, Fla.
About the Center for the Performing Arts
The mission of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the Center Presents performance series, featuring the best in classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres. The campus in Carmel includes a 1,600-seat concert hall, the Palladium; a 500-seat proscenium theater, the Tarkington; and the black-box Studio Theater. The Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident companies: Actors Theatre of Indiana, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Civic Theatre, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and Indiana Wind Symphony. The Center also provides educational and experiential programming for people of all ages. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.
About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy® Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. Headquartered at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, the Foundation advances this rich musical legacy by curating a vast archive of items representing its creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy® summer intensive. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum®. More information is available at TheSongbook.org.