Wonka Ball for About Face Youth Theatre

About Face Theatre’s annual Wonka Ball, held May 7, could be summarized by the evening’s final performance with About Face Youth Theatre actors dancing to their own mob-dance version of the YouTube video of the Sound of Music at the Liverpool St. Station in London. Two actors sashayed with every twist and turn as they grew in numbers, until over 30 synchronized dancers collectively wowed the crowd. The event held at Salvage One, 1840 W. Hubbard, started with a VIP reception. Windy City Media Group publisher Tracy Baim accepted the Leppen Leadership Award alongside Nightspots editor Kirk Williamson on behalf of Windy City Media Group. Baim, who started in 1984 at Gay Life newspaper, was honored for her 25 years in LGBT media. “I really appreciate About Face for honoring both Windy City Media Group and myself,” said Baim. (In addition, Scott Jaburek received the 2009 About Face Youth Theatre MVP Award.) The main event featured an extensive silent auction, food by different local caterers, and cocktails.

This year’s fundraising event was especially vital for a theatre company experiencing the the affects of an economic downturn. In early March AFT began a $300,000 capital campaign to ensure future employee salaries and programming. The AFT Web site posts that the company has raised over $175,000 to date. To learn more about the capital campaign and the current season, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com. Text by Emmanuel Garcia; photos by Kat Fitzgerald (MysticImagesPhotography.com) and Jerry Nunn.