Opening Night Gala
Thank you for joining us at New York City Center and the Ziegfeld Ballroom for the Opening Night Gala. We hope to welcome you back next year!
Honoring Denise Littlefield Sobel
The Opening Night Gala kicked off Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s four-week season. The one-night-only event featured a performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater featuring Robert Battle’s sensuous duet Unfold with live vocals by acclaimed soprano Brandie Sutton, Mauro Bigonzetti’s dramatic Festa Barocca (excerpt) with students from The Ailey School, a duet from Twyla Tharp’s jazzy Nine Sinatra Songs, and Alvin Ailey’s bubbly Night Creature (excerpt) and his timeless masterpiece, Revelations—all followed by a festive dinner dance at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
Proceeds from the Gala support the creation of new works, scholarships for talented students at The Ailey School, and Ailey’s innovative educational programs for children.
HONORARY CHAIR
Tamron Hall
GALA CO-CHAIRS
Emily & Len Blavatnik
Howard Bradnock
Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach
Joan & Sandy Weill
Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer
GALA VICE CHAIRS
Jill & Gunther Bright
Anthony S. Kendall
Anthony A. Lewis
Raina & Jack Pitts
We gratefully acknowledge the following for their generous contributions to the Opening Night Gala:
AILEY VANGUARD
Denise Littlefield Sobel
AILEY LEADERS
Emily & Len Blavatnik
BNY Mellon
Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach
The Weill Family Foundation
Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer
AILEY CHAMPION
Bank of America
AILEY BENEFACTORS
American Express
Mitchell Titus LLP
Prudential Financial
SheaMoisture
Verizon Communications
AILEY VISIONARIES
Diageo North America
Meringoff Family Foundation
Meta Business Partners
Morgan Stanley
AILEY INNOVATORS
Simin N. Allison
Stanley & Marion Bergman
Family Charitable Fund / Henry Schein Inc.
Blackstone Inc.
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Delores Browne
Capital One
Citi
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Judith McDonough Kaminski & Joseph Kaminski
Robert Kissane / CCS
Leslie & Tom Maheras
McKinsey & Company
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Raina & Jack Pitts
Muhammad Qubbaj / Goldman Sachs
Elaine & Larry Rothenberg
Savills / Elizabeth & Arthur J. Mirante ll
United Talent Agency
Warner Bros. Discovery
DeJuan V. Wilson
Elaine P. Wynn and Family Foundation
BENEFIT COMMITTEE
Eleanor S. Applewhaite
Joan Binstock & Dr. David Silvers
Terri & Alvin Bowles
Sela & Art Collins
Laura D. Corb & Howard Corb
Peter Croncota
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Judie Green & Rich Regan / Auditorium Theatre
Addie & Tom Jones
Ethel Klein & Ed Krugman
Celia & Henry McGee
Stephen J. Meringoff
Yasmeen Mock
Opus 3 Artists
Lata N. Reddy
Oti Roberts
Dr. Danielle Robinson & Reverend Dwayne McClary
Cara Sabin
Tawana Tibbs & Bruce S. Gordon
Linsey Tully & Joseph Racioppo
Karen E. Wagner & David L. Caplan
Joan O’Meara Winant
Gillian Wynn
Tamiko & Jean-Rene Zetrenne
Listings as of 10.28.2022
Programs, casting, and prices are subject to change without notice.