The stars have gathered to celebrate The Great Neck Arts Center’s 20th year of bringing arts to the community by performing at the annual gala, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Film and television actor Paul Sorvino, who played Henry Kissinger in the 1995 film “Nixon” and was a regular cast member in the NBC police drama “Law and Order,” will be presented with The Arts Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Special guest comedienne Susie Essman, star of the critically acclaimed HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” will be named The Arts Center’s Artist of Distinction for Comedy. Essman plays the sassy Susie Greene, whose hilarious bouts of sarcasm and uninhibited insults have become her character’s trademark.
She will be introduced by comedy writer and producer Jeffrey Gurian, who has written material for a long list of comedians, including Rodney Dangerfield, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, Phil Hartman, Gilbert Gottfried, Joan Rivers, and George Wallace. He has written two award-winning films and is currently writing a book and co-producing a documentary film about the history of The Comic Strip, the longest running comedy club in New York.
Great Neck jazz singer, lyricist and composer Lisa Gary, a graduate of Great Neck North High School, will share her musical talents with gala guests. She has been performing throughout the metropolitan area at clubs and special events for several years. She was selected out of hundreds of submissions from 33 countries to be one of 12 semi-finalists in the prestigious Thelonious Monk competition. This year she has been working on her debut album, due to be released shortly.
The Gala will honor The Mindel family, owners of the Inn at Great Neck and a number of other hotel and catering venues, as well as Samar Hospitality. The family is widely known for their generosity towards a wide variety of community causes. “We like to be involved with causes that make the world a better place,” said Alan Mindel. He and his siblings, Joseph and Marlene, as well as their mother, Mary, will receive The Arts Center’s Honorary Founder’s Award.
“We are recognizing the Mindel family with an Honorary Founders’ Award, the second one we’ve ever given,” said Arts Center Executive Director Regina Keller Gil. “This award was bestowed upon former Congressman Gary Ackerman last year and was created to express our gratitude for the constant friendship and support the honoree has given to The Arts Center.”
All proceeds from The Arts Center Gala will benefit the education and outreach programs of The Great Neck Arts Center’s School for the Arts. Bonnie Zarabi is serving as the gala chair and Jill and Michael T. Lamoretti are the honorary co-chairs.
Sponsorships of the gala are available in a wide variety of categories, which include tickets to the event. Individual tickets are available, as well. A journal is also being published in coordination with the gala. For sponsorship, ticket and journal advertising information, call Arts Center Gala Coordinator Ronni Berger at 829-2570.
“Everyone is invited to join in the festivities for a great evening of food, dancing, and lots of laughs,” Berger said.
