We're celebrating spring with a butterfly bash - unfurl your wings, put on your brightest colors and join us to support GPAC!
6 pm
Cocktail Attire
Duncan-Williams Performance Hall
GPAC 1801 Exeter Road, Germantown TN 38138
Space is Limited!
Sponsored Table - $5,000
Tables seat ten. Sponsors enjoy premium seating, extensive recognition in pre and post event social media, recognition on the GPAC website with logo and link to your website, and recognition in the gala program.
Reserved Table - $3,500
Tables seat ten. A portion of the table price is tax deductible.
Individual Ticket - $350
For more information, please contact Parke Kennedy, Director of Development
The 2023 Gala Committee
Chairs:
Susan and Damon Arney
Amanda and Josh Littlejohn
Emily and Jeff McEvoy
Lauren and Norris McGehee
Denice and Jim McMahon
Katy and Patrick O’Connor
Ann and Joel Parker
Kim and Johnny Pitts
Sarah and Trey Watkins
Host Committee:
Sheila and Carlton Anderson
Carmen Bond and Nash Necaise
Karen Carlisle
Lisa and Jimmy Guyton
Christina and Len Hester
Karen and Kirk Johnston
Melissa and Joel Kimbrough
JJ and Bobby Krauch
Event Stylist:
Ann Parker
Parker Design Studio
Featuring
Chef Jimmy Gentry
Paradox Catering
CHECK OUT OUR Live Auction ITEMS!
Memphis Nights!
Head downtown to the world-famous Peabody Hotel for a two-night stay in deluxe accommodations. Enjoy dinner at Chef Jimmy Gentry’s celebrated new restaurant The Lobbyist at The Chisca on Main. Gentry, who was behind the beloved restaurant P.O. Press Public House and Provisions in Collierville, has a new location that is both modern and elegant. After dinner, head over for a fantastic show at the Orpheum (show to be announced when Orpheum season is announced). The next day, enjoy lunch or dinner at 117 Prime, the exceptional traditional American steakhouse that is the brainchild of Restaurateurs Craig Blondis, Roger Sapp and Chef Ryan Trimm (2023 Memphis Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year).
Provided by The Peabody Hotel, Orpheum Theater, Chef Jimmy Gentry (The Lobbyist and Paradox Catering) and Chef Ryan Trimm (Across the Board Restaurant Group)
Pre-Show Soirée
It’s dinner and a show at GPAC! You’ll dine in the elegantly appointed Watkins Studio Theater on a delicious four-course meal paired with wine, prepared by talented Chef Ryan Trimm (Across the Board Restaurant Group). Trimm has just been named Memphis Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year! Après soirée, you and your guests will take your premium seats in the magnificent GPAC theater for a memorable performance by legendary Broadway grande dame and three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone. This is dinner and theater for 10 on Saturday, September 23, 2023.It’s dinner and a show at GPAC! You’ll dine in the elegantly appointed Watkins Studio Theater on a delicious four-course meal paired with wine, prepared by talented Chef Ryan Trimm (Across the Board Restaurant Group). Trimm has just been named Memphis Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year! Après soirée, you and your guests will take your premium seats in the magnificent GPAC theater for a memorable performance by legendary Broadway grande dame and three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone. This is dinner and theater for 10 on Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Provided by Chef Ryan Trimm (Across the Board Restaurant Group) and GPAC
Watch Party in the Grove
This is a UNIQUE opportunity to host your own watch party for a sporting event or movie of your choice in the incomparable outdoor space that is The Grove at GPAC. Invite seventy-five of your closest friends, family or colleagues for an evening or afternoon in The Grove watching something of your choosing. With a full bar and light live music upon arrival, you are sure to have a fantastic time.
Provided by GPAC
“The Royal Studios” Treatment
Give in to temptation and spend an evening immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of Memphis music history! An extraordinary evening for 20 at historic Royal Studios, one of the oldest continually operating recording studios in the world, where such notables as Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner and Rod Stewart came to record. Boo Mitchell—Grammy award winning producer of “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars—and his lovely mama Yvonne Mitchell will delight your senses with a private behind-the-scenes tour to kick off the evening. Then, you will experience a treat like no other. Yvonne has cooked for Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Boz Scaggs and Melissa Etheridge (who ate nothing but Yvonne’s cooking for 7 days straight!). For you, Yvonne will whip up some of the most comfortable comfort food you’ve ever tasted, infused with the family’s warm, homey hospitality. There will be live entertainment (it IS a recording studio, after all) and libations. By the end of the night, you will feel like part of the Royal family. Dinner for 20, date to be scheduled at a mutually convenient time.
Provided by Royal Studios, Boo Mitchell, Yvonne Mitchell and GPAC
Getaway to The Roost
Experience an intimate getaway for you and your closest friends/family that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Indulge in this unique experience and get away from it all with luxurious overnight accommodations for eight at The Roost, the legendarily beautiful rural retreat near Clarksdale, Mississippi. Arrive in the afternoon, inhale the sumptuous surroundings, and become seduced by the outdoors. There is fishing and hiking, even a tractor ride! If that doesn’t get you going, you can shoot skeet or just hang out in the pool. If you are interested in touring the area, we can help with suggestions and arrangements. In the evening, we’ll treat you to dinner with some local flair, followed by breakfast before you head off in the morning. This is an experience for 8 people; they can all be adults, or you can bring your children. Dates to be agreed upon but must be used before December 2023. Guests must provide their own liquor.
Provided by Duncan and Abbie Williams
The Art of the Cocktail
Invite your guests to take center stage under the lights at GPAC! Back by popular demand, this sultry, lounge-style cocktail party for 50-75 guests on the main stage will feature specialty craft cocktails created by Master Mixologist Brad Pitts, tantalizing hors d’oeuvres by celebrated Chef Dave Krog, and live entertainment. Your guests will be talking about the flavors and fun of this rare opportunity and memorable night for quite some time! Offer to be used before the end of 2023 at a mutually agreed-upon time.
Provided by GPAC Master Mixologist Brad Pitts and Chef Dave Krog (Dory)
Under the Tuscan Sun - La Dolce Vita!
Stay in the spectacular medieval town of Cortona, known around the world as the setting for the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun. A charming hilltop town, Cortona was founded in the Etruscan era, before the Romans, with evidence that the town existed as far back as seven centuries before Christ. Today it is truly a gem, framed on the horizon with soft hills and the wide expanse of Lake Trasimeno. The town’s easy, relaxed vibe will capture your heart as you stroll past its countless restaurants, quaint boutiques, artisanal shops and friendly cafes. Cortona is strategically located between Florence, Rome, Siena, Assisi and the wine regions of Montepulciano, Montalcino and Chianti, making it the perfect base for exploring Tuscany!
Stay in a charming apartment for 7 evenings, situated in the heart of town, with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a comfortable and attractive living area. The apartment is merely steps away from the main square of town and from everything you might need during your stay.
Includes an informative 3 hour private walking tour with a professional local guide who will share with you all the secrets of one of the oldest towns of Tuscany. You will also enjoy a fabulous wine tasting in the coolest wine bar in town located in the main square. A wine expert will lead you on a fabulous journey discovering different wines that come from one of the most iconic wine regions in the world. You will have a personal concierge to arrange extra activities and anything else you desire during your stay. (This is a package for four adults. Reservations and accommodations are based on availability. If the above pictured apartment is not available during your preferred travel dates, it may be substituted for a similar apartment of equal value. *Includes all taxes except tourist tax. Blackout Dates: December 20th, 2023 – January 7th, 2024.)
Underground with Paradox
Paradox Underground is an exclusive dining experience- a sort of culinary speakeasy. For just one night Chef Jimmy Gentry, along with his Paradox team, transform an unlikely location into a unique dining room where they serve five masterfully created courses that are paired with the perfect libations. Each event promises the chance to eat, drink, and mingle in an all-around experience sure to excite all the senses.
Mystery is part of what makes Paradox Underground unlike any other dining experience in the city. The location of each event remains undisclosed until guests arrive via provided transportation. The evening challenges the chef to climb out of the regular menu repertoire, offering a chance to create food customized to venue and atmosphere. Who knows what also may be a part of each dinner? It’s all part of the mystery.
Provided by Chef Jimmy Gentry, Paradox Catering
Big River Distillery Tour
We’ll pick you up from your preferred location and transport you to the Big River Distillery for a bourbon tasting in their beautiful new tasting room and a tour of the distillery. Big River Distillery is home to Blue Note Bourbon and Riverset Whiskey, which is aged on the winding bluffs of the Mississippi River. Then we’ll whisk you over for a delicious meal at Cocozza, Memphis’ new favorite red-sauce spot. The ambiance is classic—red checkered linens, drippy wax candles, the sound of Mario Lanza, Connie Francis, and Elvis crooning in the background. You’ll enjoy a three-course meal served family style. It’ll include generous portions of your favorite American Italian dishes served with a side of pasta in a rustic marinara with enough garlicky, buttery, perfectly crunchy bread to soak it all up and perhaps a solid Sangiovese to wash it all down. Includes two bottles of Italian White and two bottles of Italian Red. At the end of the evening, we’ll get you safely back to your pick-up spot! Transport, tasting and dinner for eight at a mutually agreed-upon date and time.
Provided by Big River Distillery, David Acey (Alpha Express Transportation), Deni & Patrick Reilly (Majestic Grille, Cocozza) and GPAC
House of the Unconventional - Pasqua Wine Dinner
On November 8, 2023, enjoy a private wine dinner at your own home with 10 to 12 of your favorite wine-aficionado friends. You’ll start the evening with Kelley’s Katch caviar, bubbly and some live music, and then sit down to enjoy an exclusive wine tasting led by Alessandro Pasqua. Alessandro is a third-generation member of the Pasqua family who represents an exciting new era in the winery's management.
Kelley's Katch has been processing wholesome, sustainable caviar for nearly 40 years. Publications like the Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker have long recognized Kelley's Katch as one of the nation’s most well-respected producers of fine quality sturgeon and paddlefish caviars.
The Pasqua family founded Pasqua Winery in 1925 in Verona, one of the most dedicated Italian wine regions. One of the most historic wineries in Verona, Pasqua is still completely family-owned.
Coming to Memphis just for this occasion, Alessandro will feature premier wines from the Pasqua Winery portfolio which will be paired with a menu selected and prepared by Memphis favorite Erling Jensen (Erling Jensen’s).
Highly regarded Chef Jensen has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles in Memphis as well as in Food & Wine, Southern Living, and John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet. Erling has cooked twice at the James Beard House in New York City and has received many distinctions, many times.
This is dinner and wine tasting for 10 to 12 in a private home on November 8, 2023.
Provided by Alessandro Pasqua (Famiglia Pasqua), Erling Jensen (Erling Jensen’s), Kelley’s Katch Caviar, Tennessee Crown and GPAC.
A Musical and Theatrical Medley
This package is a medley of music, theater, dining and luxury accommodations. Memphis is blessed with a plethora of arts and entertainment offerings, and this is a chance to try something new or revisit some of your favorites. Items in this package also make great gifts for friends, family and colleagues! Includes dinner for two at River Oaks, where Chef Jose Gutierrez reigns supreme; two three-day VIP passes at Mempho Music Festival; two tickets to Theatre Memphis; a season subscription to Playhouse on the Square; a flex pack of four tickets to Germantown Community Theater; dinner for two at Germantown’s acclaimed Southern Social and a night on the river bluffs at River Inn. Mempho Music Festival takes place September 29 through October 1 at the Raidans Amphitheater, and you’ll enjoy VIP parking for three days of A-list artists playing amidst the natural beauty of the Memphis Botanic Gardens in the most legendary music city on earth.
Provided by River Oaks, Mempho Music, Theatre Memphis, Playhouse on the Square, Germantown Community Theater, Southern Social and River Inn.
