Broadway brilliance resounded through Houston’s Hobby Center for the Performing Arts on a remarkable gala evening that unfolded on the Sarofim Stage. That is where dinner, fundraising and Tony Award winning entertainment evolved into a remarkable soirée with a surprise financial bang.
“Raise the Curtain” gala chairs Mady and Ken Kades welcomed a black-tie throng of some 240 to the speakeasy setting that led through a hidden door to the main stage where The Events Company worked its magic, draping the interior stage and dressing tables in gold and blue and swaths of floras. City Kitchen provided its always commendable dinner.
The financial windfall — a $5 million gift from the Ken and Mady Kades Foundation — was revealed by Hobby Center president and CEO Mark Folkes. The funds are earmarked for new initiatives and improvements across the Hobby Center campus. The most interesting of all is The Kades Club, a new hospitality lounge aimed at supporting and fostering community among donors and partners.
“Philanthropy is driving the next chapter of the Hobby Center, powering our strategic plan and expanding what a performing arts center can be for artists and audiences,” Folkes says. ”We’re incredibly grateful to Ken and Mady Kades for their leadership gift and creating a legacy that will strengthen Houston’s arts community for generations.”…