The Public Theater's Annual Shakespeare in the Park Gala

The annual Public Theater Gala, which marks the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park, is the quintessential New York City gala benefiting the arts, and Empire is honored to have been chosen as the event producer for the 2nd year in a row. In the rainiest June that New Yorkers can remember, the Public Theater was fortunate to have a warm and dry evening for their entirely outdoor bash. This year’s honorees included Susan Lyne, chief executive of the Gilt Groupe and former chief executive of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and acclaimed director Mike Nichols, whose extensive credits include The Graduate and the 2001 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Seagull with Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman.

The event began with a dinner for 800 on the lawn outside of the Delacorte Theater. Gorgeous fuchsia peony arrangements topped dinner tables draped in lavender linens, and Hudson Yards Catering designed a delectable summer menu that featured Argentinean sirloin, horseradish-crusted salmon and roasted wild mushrooms. Following dinner, guests including Steve Martin and Cynthia Nixon headed into the Delacorte Theater for a performance of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night starring the very beautiful and talented Anne Hathaway. Capping off the evening was an after-party for the cast and guests, held at the Belvedere Castle overlooking Turtle Pond. Partygoers danced under the stars and strung twinkle lights while DJ Marlon Morris spun pop favorites, both old and new.

Empire served as overall event producer, coordinating guest registration logistics with the Public Theater’s development team, catering with Hudson Yards Catering, decor & floral design, red carpet & signage as well as staging & production with the Public Theater's own exceptional production team. Empire also managed the production schedule, show flow, layouts, budget and production roles to ensure that everyone's efforts were tightly integrated and coordinated with the operations of the Public Theater and the Central Park Conservancy. Empire Entertainment has over 15 years of experience producing public, private, not-for-profit and outdoor events in New York City and around the world. Many thanks to the Public Theater for choosing Empire to produce their gala once again. To learn more about the Public Theater and their programs and to become a member and supporter, visit http://www.publictheater.org/