This is the seventh Icons Gala I have attended, not counting the 2020, Covid-induced, online version, which I don’t.

It’s a great occasion to support the theatre, mingle with friends, make some new ones and see some great young talent display their skills. It also can present the opportunity to see the icons up close and personal, and even have a chat with them. But not this year. In four of the last five years the honorees were there in person (2023 being the notable exception), posing for photos and telling stories about their careers. But not this year.

I understand the economics that have overtaken the theater community. Appearance fees and travel costs can eat into a budget in a hurry. But a couple minute video of Alan Mencken sitting at his piano saying thank you did nothing for me. I thought maybe he would actually play the piano while giving us a glimpse of his creative process. But no.

Well, at least we always have been treated to a good meal. But not this year. I wish I had eaten before I came.

The performances were, as always, wonderful, and I enjoyed speaking with a few of the performers, in particular Adam Fane, whom I’ve enjoyed watching in the past in Titanique and Avenue Q, but the room was missing the excitement of having the honoree there watching. I’m all for continuing some kind of group gathering, but it may be time to retire the Icons Gala and replace it with something more appealing.

Meanwhile, Porchlight opens Mencken’s Little Shop of Horrors in November. I expect great things from the cast members I saw perform at the Icons Gala, including Adam, who will play Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.