Abby Traister and McKenna Wesley
Phoenix Theatre was decked out for the affair.
Missi Harrington and Lynne Love have fun on the dance floor.
Carolyn and Craig Jackson
Darlene Keller-Price and Vincent VanVleet
Gabrielle Van Buren and chef Gabriele Bertaccini
Love onstage with the Applause! Gala actors
Love onstage with the Applause! Gala actors
Standing Ovation
Theater enthusiasts donned their best Broadway attire for a night of cocktails, posh bites and performances.
THE PARTY
Phoenix Theatre’s 2016 Applause! Gala marked a record-breaking year, with more than $450,000 raised for the theater’s performances, education programs and community outreach efforts.
THE GUESTS
Honorees included Craig and Carolyn Jackson, who received the Pope Humanitarian Award; Lynne Love and Karrin Kunasek Taylor, both recipients of the Woman Who Cares Award; former Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano, who nabbed the Man of Character Award; Larry and Janet Read, who earned the Angels of the Art Award; and Pat McMahon, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
Guests enjoyed a sumptuous plated dinner by chef Gabriele Bertaccini of iL Tocco Food and performances of the honorees’ favorite musical-theater songs. The audience erupted in laughter as Valley philanthropist and MoneySoft, Inc., president Robert Machiz impersonated fellow philanthropist Billie Jo Herberger. Overall, the evening was a success, raising more money than any event in the theater’s 97 years. ‒Lauren Swanson
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