Porchlight Music Theatre Icons Gala

The Icons Gala – Porchlight Music Theatre – Venue West – October 4, 2026

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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.

 

Porchlight Music Theatre’s ICONS Gala – Ritz Carlton – September 22, 2024

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If you get invited to a brunch event at the Ritz, go. The food is great.

This was my 5th in-person Porchlight ICONS Gala (plus one online during the height of Covid), but only the second one that was a Sunday brunch. As honoree Raúl Esparza might have heard said when he played Fagin in last year’s New York City Center Encores! production of Oliver! (please excuse all the exclamation marks – they’re not mine), “please . . . , I want some more.

And, as usual, I can say the same about the entertainment Porchlight provided, a dozen songs from shows in which Esparza has appeared, flawlessly performed, if you ignore, as everyone chose to except those of us required to faithfully journal the event, the problems with a microphone that plagued one of the artists throughout, despite repeated attempts by hotel staff to replace the offending device. Rest assured, the problems didn’t detract from the audience’s enjoyment, as the performers efficiently dealt with the issues.

While all four singers brought talent and joy to the stage, I want single (double?) out two of them. First, Adrian Aguilar, whom I last saw as Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, for not taking even a moment off, displaying his showmanship at all times, in every little movement and facial expression, whether he was singing or reacting to others.

Second, Ava Stovall, for her rendition of Maybe This Time (Cabaret), which, justifiably, brought the biggest round of applause from the audience.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen a full-out dance version of Let’s Do the Time Warp Again (Rocky Horror Picture Show), because the song is just not the same without the choreography.

During his interview by Paul Lisnek, Esparza was down-to-earth, engaging and humorous, treating us to his voice and mannerism impressions of Stephen Sondheim; his memories of starting out in Chicago in the worst production he’s ever been in; and his opinion about the movie Evita (not a high one) and what he went through in the context of playing Che (Evita) in the national tour his own way.

 

Porchlight Music Theatre ICONS Gala – Ritz-Carlton – September 23, 2022

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I have now been to the last four Porchlight ICONS Galas, which have provided an interesting progression. The first one was a Sunday brunch that honored Jerome Robbins. He was not present to accept the award, having been dead for 20 years.

In 2020, because of the pandemic, the event became a three-day online affair, and included a pre-recorded interview with honoree Joel Grey, who, I’m happy to say, is still with us.

Last year, with life starting to open up, we were able to honor Chita Rivera in person on a Wednesday night.

This year, the event worked its way up to a Friday night, and not only was honoree Donna McKechnie in attendance, she also sang for her supper (a song from her Tony award-winning role as Cassie in A Chorus Line).

It was a wonderful evening, which means I only have two complaints.

Please don’t pass around exploding appetizers before dinner. Ten minutes in the bathroom trying to clean up my shirt, after biting into a pastry filled with goat cheese, wasn’t in my original plan.

And, if the hotel can go to the trouble of offering three different entree choices, how about also giving us dessert choices.

After all, because of my connection with Porchlight, I was given a Golden Ticket (really) for the event, just as if I were a kid in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, not Willy Wonka and the Vanilla Thingy on My Plate Gala.