A joyful noise is raised at the second
evening of the See It First Theater Series!
Click here to see photos from our event at The Color Purple.
On February 7, 2006, generous supporters of Gay Men's Health Crisis gathered
at the Broadway Theatre to view one of the most talked-about musicals of the year,
the triumphant debut of the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning
masterpiece, The Color Purple. February 7 also happened to be National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness and Testing Day, a vital tool in our national effort to stanch the alarming
rate of HIV transmission in communities of color. Many of GMHC's friends and supporters
expressed surprise at how deeply they were affected by what they saw on stage. The evening
was the second in our See It First With GMHC theater series.
The show demonstrates that no matter who you are, where you come from or
where your future may lie, hope never dies! This message carries a powerful
resonance for the over 15,000 clients of GMHC, some of whom were also given
the opportunity to experience this powerful performance. The moving closing
number brought the crowd to its feet, turning the atmosphere of the show from
one of a performance to that of a meeting of old friends. And just try to NOT
look at a field now and notice "The Color Purple."
And the night just kept getting better!
After the show, our most generous event donors were treated to a fabulous
reception at the world famous B. Smith's New York, hosted by none other than B.
Smith, herself and husband Dan Gasby who served on the event's Host
Committee.
Stoli Vodka, a See It First Series Sponsor, created another special cocktail
for the occasion: The Purple Button, named for the particularly risqué song,
Push Da' Button, sung by Elizabeth Withers-Mendes in her role as Shug Avery. We
were joined by principal cast members including lead actress LaChanze, who
winningly portrayed Celie. Also joining us were fellow host committee members,
Leslie Uggams and her husband, Grahame Pratt, Food Network host Bobby
Riversand members of the GMHC Board of Directors and representatives from our See
It First Series Presenting Sponsors, Merck and Co., Inc.; Delta
Air Lines,
Inc.; and our event sponsor, Abbott Virology, Inc.
Click here to see photos from B. Smith's New York!
Gay Men's Health Crisis wishes to thank the following extremely generous sponsors and supporters
for their commitment to tonight's event, the See It First Series and GMHC's vital work
in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
See It First Series Sponsor
The Color Purple Event Presenting Sponsor
Patrons
Bloomberg, LP
Maureen Hayes
Q Models
Kathleen Schoonmaker
Ted Snowdon
Audra Zuckerman
Additional Supporters
The Cast of The Color Purple
Barlow Hartman Public Relations
Our Wonderful Host Committee
Jeffrey Banks
B. Smith and Dan Gasby
Bobby Rivers
Leslie Uggams
Joined By:
Ellen Baer
John E. Colón
Frank Doyle
William S. Floyd
Dr. Marjorie Hill
Thomas Irwin, Ph.D.
Ronald Johnson
Barbara Levy-Simon
Dee Livingston
Hal Moskowitz
Ana Oliveira
Sheila Stainback
Joe Steele
© 2006 Gay Men's Health Crisis |
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