Friends of the Broward Center for the Performing
Arts fired up their computers recently to celebrate the arts and support the Broward
Center at a virtual gala. More than 300 guests “attended” the on-line event featuring
performances by award-winning artists from New York and South Florida.
The virtual gala was presented by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation in conjunction
with a nationwide initiative introduced by Lincoln Center in New York: “Connecting for
Culture: A Gala of Virtual Tables Across the USA.” Theaters around the country held similar
events inspired by Lincoln Center on the same evening. Of the 19 performers who
participated in the Broward event, 11 were Broadway veterans secured by Lincoln Center.
The local artists who participated are frequently seen on the Broward Center stage in Slow
Burn Theatre Company productions.
At the Broward Center event, Foundation President Lisa Kitei and Broward Center
President and CEO Kelley Shanley greeted arriving guests from their seats in the Au-Rene
Theater. Following a virtual cocktail reception, everyone was whisked away into
designated Zoom rooms to enjoy private performances and lively Q& As with their assigned
artists. The entire audience then came back together for a final performance of “Here
Comes the Sun” by an ensemble of local artists singing from their homes and seen in their
Zoom squares. To enhance the virtual experience, a real dinner was offered by Broward
Center partner Artisan Foods.
“We transitioned from the stage to the internet for a live performance experience to
support and help the local artists who bring magic to our stages here at the Broward
Center,” said Shanley. “Events like this, along with our “Broward Center @ Home” series,
keep us connected and ensure that we can continue to provide services that are relevant
and accessible to our community while the theaters are dark.”
Thanking everyone who attended the event, Kitei urged continued support, saying: “The
arts play a vital role, each and every day, inspiring and engaging people of all ages. Tonight,
we had an audience that ranged in age from five to 87, demonstrating that in both good
times and bad, people of every age will turn to the arts for comfort and joy.”
For more than 30 years, the Broward Performing Arts Foundation has been instrumental in
providing support for the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The Foundation was
established in 1985 to deliver the required private funding to build the Center and create
an endowment to sustain its operations. Over the years, the Foundation has successfully
raised funds to support the Broward Center’s innovative and diverse programming, arts-in-
education initiatives, community engagement activities and capital projects. The
Foundation recently completed a $30 million capital campaign to renovate and restore the
iconic Parker Playhouse. Prior to this, it raised $60 million to complete the Encore! capital
campaign to renovate, renew and revitalize the Broward Center.
For more information about the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, call 954-468-3284
or email Foundation@BrowardCenter.org.
About The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
One of America’s premier performing arts venues, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents more than
700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons, showcasing a wide range of exciting cultural
programming and events. Guest experiences at the Broward Center include the all-inclusive JetBlue Flight Deck on
the Club Level, special events in the Huizenga Pavilion, waterfront dining at Marti’s New River Bistro and innovative
classes and workshops for all ages at the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center. With one of the largest arts-in-
education programs in the United States, the Broward Center serves more than 130,000 students annually. The
Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop and secure the future of
the Broward Center. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment
District at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit BrowardCenter.org.
The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Consortium is a cultural partnership between the Broward Center for the
Performing Arts, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, History Fort Lauderdale andhe Historic Stranahan House Museum. It is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as
recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida
Council on Arts and Culture.
