Social Seens... Photography by Gram
Broadway Ball 2021
“Curtain Up!” The David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts’ annual Broadway Ball fundraiser at the center in Tampa
was presented by the Sandy and Sandy MacKinnon Family Foundation and chaired by Lisa and Larry McHale. Upon arrival,
guests visited with friends over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while perusing a silent auction in the center’s Ruth Silbiger Lobby of
Carol Morsani Hall. After moving to the center’s Carol Morsani Hall stage for a seated wine-paired dinner of seared sea scallops
and grilled filet mignon by Maestro’s, guests were welcomed by Straz President and CEO Judy Lisi. During dinner, guests were
entertained by singers from Broadway, the Patel Conservatory and beyond and encouraged to bid on live auction offerings. The
festivities continued back in the center’s lobby with the Broadway Ball After Dark party, which featured Sound Up for dancing.
The funds raised at the Broadway Ball will help the Straz Center continue the innovative arts education of the Patel Conservatory,
outreach programs within the community and diverse on-site experiences.
152 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Patsy McNichols and her husband
Gene McNichols, a member of the Straz
Center’s board of trustees, again sponsored
the Broadway Ball’s wine-paired, onstage
seated dinner by Maestro’s through their
McNichols Family and Company.
Mary Jane Martinez, a former First Lady of
Florida and of Tampa, and her husband The
Honorable Bob Martinez, a former governor
of Florida and mayor of Tampa, added their
charm to the event.
Lori and Bill Goede, who were both on the
ball’s steering committee, were proud that
Bank of America, where he is the Tampa Bay
market president, was a ball sponsor to help
the Straz, where he is a trustee.
Mardy and Charlene Gordon were among
the table sponsors at the annual Broadway
Ball fundraising event for the David A. Straz
Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, where she
is a member of the board of trustees.
Gary and Karen Sasso, both members of
the ball’s steering committee, were glad the
benefit for the Straz, where he was chair of
the board of trustees and is still on the board
of trustees as well as the foundation board,
was such a success.
Don and Jan DeFosset, who helped sponsor
the benefit for the Straz, where he is a
foundation board member, enjoyed visiting
with friends during the cocktail reception in
Carol Morsani Hall’s Ruth Silbiger Lobby.