CULTURE & COCKTAILS Returns to The Colony Hotel Coral Ballroom

Dave Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County today announced that the 15th season of the popular series CULTURE & COCKTAILS continues next month with another fascinating conversation at The Colony Hotel Coral Ballroom, located at 155 Hammon Avenue in Palm Beach.

January 13

Hey, Madam Producer

A Conversation with Theatrical Impresarios

+ Marcie Gorman, Executive Producer & Artistic Director of MNM Theatre Company, which presents musicals at the Kravis Center's Rinker Playhouse, including recent productions of Man of La Mancha and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, with Cabaret scheduled for next May.

+ Vicki Halmos, Founder/Producer of Entr'Acte Theatrix, which stages musicals at Old School Square's Crest Theatre, including the recent productions of The Addams Family and Monty Python's Spamalot.

+ Jan McArt, Producer & Director of Theatre Arts Program Development at Lynn University, where she created and oversees four popular theatrical series: Libby Dodson's Live at Lynn Theatre Series, Live at Lynn American Songbook series, Jan McArt's New Play Readings, and the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Cabaret at Lincoln Center Comes to Live at Lynn, plus the upcoming production of the musical Gigi in which philanthropist Lois Pope "returns to the stage."

+ Marilynn Wick, Executive Managing Producer of The Wick Theater & Costume Museum, which this season is presenting major productions of The Music Man, Evita, A Chorus Line and more.

Interviewed by Suzanne L. Niedland, award-winning filmmaker, actor, and Broadway Producer

Coming up next:

February 3

Preserving Precious Treasures

A Conversation with sisters Barbara Stella & Sandra Stella, Co-founders of Stella Art Conservation

+ President & Chief Conservator Barbara Stella has performed treatments on artworks by prestigious artists such as Rembrandt, Monet, Salvador Dalí, Kenneth Noland, Joan Miró, Gerhard Richter, and more.

+ Executive Manager Sandra Stella has a 20-year professional career working with ambassadors, government ministers and policymakers in Africa (UK Consulate, Italian Embassy), Italy, Canada and the United States.

Interviewed by Sarah Wetenhall, President & CEO of The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach

CULTURE & COCKTAILS is generously sponsored by The Roe Green Foundation, Roe Green, Founder; The Donald M. Ephraim Family Foundation; The Gardens Mall; Clo & Charles S. Cohen; The Fine Arts Conservancy; First Republic Bank; Scott Teich, Teich Wealth Management of Raymond James; Woolems Luxury Home Builders; and The International Society of Palm Beach. With additional support from Legends Radio 100.3 FM, The Palm Beach Daily News, and PR-BS, a Boca-based public relations firm.

Please Note:

Admission to each CULTURE & COCKTAILS event is $75 per person in advance; $85 at the door, $125 for VIP Seating, and FREE for Supporter, Contributor, Patron and Business Arts Partner level members of the Cultural Council. All proceeds go to support the nonprofit Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. For membership information, please contact Debbie Calabria at 561.472.3330.

Each event runs from 5 to 7 pm, with registration and cocktails from 5 to 5:45 pm, and the "Conversation" from 5:45 to 7 pm, including audience Q&A. The Colony will serve complimentary beverages and an array of specially prepared hors d'oeuvres before each CULTURE & COCKTAILS conversation.

People interested in attending CULTURE & COCKTAILS can RSVP before each event by calling the Cultural Council at (561) 472-3330.

Also:

Topics and speakers are subject to change depending upon the availability of scheduled participants.

The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, Florida's Cultural Capital®. The Council provides grants to cultural organizations and professional artists, advocates for art and cultural funding, enhances local arts education, offers support services to foster growth of the sector and promotes cultural tourism.

The Cultural Council also serves as a venue for exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County, and provides additional programming at its headquarters in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building in Downtown Lake Worth Beach. Also on the property are the Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store featuring hand-crafted items by local artists; the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center, a VISIT FLORIDA-designated Florida Certified Tourism Information Center; and the Project Space, for live music and large-scale sculpture.

The Cultural Council is open to the public from 10 am - 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, including a complete calendar of cultural activities in The Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.