Kitchen Theatre Hosts Record-Breaking Fundraiser, Dance the Night Away

On Saturday, April 28, Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC) hosted Dance the Night Away, the theatre's 21st anniversary celebration. Local celebrities and members of the KTC staff participated in a friendly dance competition. Performing the Cha-Cha with Dr. Kristna Kapur, dancer Dr. Luis Mauleon raised the most money, winning the competition and a weekend trip to New York City for two. Dance the Night Away raised a grand total of $40,000 for the Kitchen Theatre Company-the most successful fundraising event in KTC history.

The crowd enjoyed live music from Little Joe and the Big Shots and dance performances from Judy Dietz, Landy Estrada-Reyes, Lesley Greene, KElly Jackson, Jim Johnston, Mary Kane, Dr. Kristna Kapur, LaShawn Keyser, Rachel Lampert, Dr. Luis Mauleon, Jean McPheeters, Dr. Jamie Morrisey, Stephen Nunley, Frost Travis, and Kate Travis.

The event brought over 100 people to the Kitchen. Mayor Svante Myrick said, "Dance the Night Away at the Kitchen Theatre was one of the best fundraisers I've seen in the City of Ithaca. It captured the spirit of the theater itself: bold, intimate, and engaging."

Event Chair Kathy Garner said, "I had a wonderful time working with the committee and staff planning this event, and while it's been a very successful fundraiser, what stands out for me is that it's just plain fun." Assisting Kathy in organizing the event was Vice Chair Cheryl Kallet Mitchell and the Dance the Night Away Gala Committee: Jim Bouderau, Karen Brown, KElly Jackson, Jodi LaPierre, Laurie Linn, Perri LoPinto, Jamie Morrisey, Dianne Orcutt, and Kara Taylor. KTC Managing Director Stephen Nunley added: "The Kitchen's Board and Staff are so grateful to all our celebrity dancers, gala attendees, and our business and corporate sponsors for making Dance the Night Away a colossal success!"

KTC thanks Tompkins Trust Company (Corporate Sponsor), James Orcutt Real Estate, Cayuga Medical Center, Travis Hyde Properties, August Moon Spa, The Bead Nest, James R. Orcutt, DDS and Dianne Orcutt, and Cornell University Hospital for Animals for their sponsorship of Dance the Night Away.

Bold, intimate, engaging...Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC), now in its 21st season, is downtown Ithaca's critically acclaimed and nationally recognized year-round professional theater company, specializing in regional and world premiere plays and musicals. KTC's intimate 99-seat theater is in its newly renovated "green" building in the West End neighborhood of downtown Ithaca, New York. KTC is the first not-for-profit recipient of the David R. Strong Memorial "Small Business of the Year" Award from the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce and receives public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the Tompkins County Room Occupancy Tax Fund. The Kitchen Theatre Company also receives general operating support from the Shubert Foundation.

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