Center's 'First'-class gala, photo coverage

The Center on Halsted’s position as an anchor institution for the Chicago LGBT community was apparent May 22, as the gay establishment gathered to rub elbows; honor the center’s 2010 Human First awardees; and attend a gala performance by comedian Lily Tomlin and jazz singer Oleta Adams.

Festivities began with a VIP reception in the lobby of Prudential Plaza. About 400 donors packed the cavernous space and enjoyed music by the Katherine Davis Quartet; and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, carving station, stir-fry and pasta bars, libations and each other’s company. At about 7 p.m., the group repaired across Randolph to the Harris Theater, where they were joined by an additional 600 ticketholders for the enthusiastically received performances and awards ceremony.

Hal Sparks—known to LGBT audiences from his starring role on TV’s Queer as Folk—emceed, warming up the audience and getting political by stressing the importance of supporting LGBT-friendly business. Adams delivered nearly an hour of tunes in her resonant contralto and a video presentation lauded the work of the 2010 awardees: Martin Gapshis, the Chicago Foundation for Women and Walgreens. A retrospective of Tomlin’s career was screened and then the icon arrived, treating the crowd of mostly longtime fans to an intimate performance, weaving topical humor with audience interaction and visits with classic characters Trudy, Judith Beasley, Edith Ann and Ernestine.

A VIP afterparty and reception with Tomlin followed on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage.