Even a blustery, rainy New York night couldn't dampen the energy radiating from City Winery last night, as guests gathered at Pier 57 for the Kitchen’s Spring Gala. Between performances, heartfelt speeches, and the narrative whimsy of the night's MC, actor and choreographer Angela Trimbur, supporters of the avant-garde gathered to toast the five decades-strong institution.
After an introduction by Trimbur, Chief Curator and Executive Director Legacy Russell kicked off the night by thanking guests for their support and reflecting on the organization’s community: "I'm wearing a cape, and tonight we’re celebrating some goddamn superheroes!" she quipped to cheers.
The core of the evening was, naturally, a celebration of its honorees' contributions. These luminaries ranged from dance legend Lucinda Childs, to longtime champions of the arts Jamie Singer Soros and Robert Soros, to artist and filmmaker Wu Tsang, who shared a poignant reminder of her own ties to the institution during her speech. "The Kitchen was the first stage I ever performed on, 20 years ago," she confessed.
As for a visualization of the center’s performance-forward ethos? The stage erupted with a zany and drum-line-heavy dance from A.I.M by Kyle Abraham dancer Alysia Johnson, followed by a commanding performance of melodies and spoken word text from musician serpentwithfeet, who emerged from the audience adorned in an ensemble of feathers and jewels.
At night's end, guests and the Kitchen team alike lingered over the revelry with glasses of champagne in hand—before leaving with a powerful reaffirmation of support for the boundary-pushers among us in tow.
