Bullfrogs aren’t a common sight at fundraising galas like Saturday Night Alive. But when they are, they bring some fun elements to the table.
Literally.
Shades of Jeremiah, the amphibian that Three Dog Night sang about in their 1971 hit “Joy to the World,” were evident in everything from the décor to the cocktail-hour menu.
Decals bearing Jeremiah’s likeness decorated one wall in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby, where fried frog legs were among the appetizers offered by Epicurean Catering. A larger-than-life replica of a frog was positioned at the entry to the theater complex, beside a vintage Volkswagen bus; smaller iterations were part of the floral centerpieces.
Later, Three Dog Night, the evening’s headliners, would close their show with an enthusiastic rendition of what they called “That frog song.”
Ryta and Steve Sondergard, the chairs of Saturday Night Alive 32, announced a net profit of $630,000 for Arts in Education, a Denver Center for the Performing Arts-sponsored effort that introduces live theater to about 50,000 children a year. Peter Swinburn, the president/CEO of Molson- Coors, headed the corporate committee with his wife, Janet, and arranged for yet another nod to Jeremiah: a bottled-for-the-occasion beer that had an image of a frog on the label.
A number of guests even incorporated frogs and/or vintage in their party dress.
Jan Hammond, who’d helped Jamie Angelich obtain items for the silent auction and surprise box sale, chose a vintage Oleg Casini gown in emerald green; her husband, Gil’s, cummerbund was embroidered with green frogs. Steve Edmonds, executive director of the Institute for Children’s Mental Disorders, reprised a custom-tailored paisley-print velvet dinner jacket. “I had it made for the last Saturday Night Alive that featured a ’70s band,” he said, “although I can’t remember which band it was.” Lois Paul’s vintage Sue Wong was a beautiful shade of blue; Eva Lanier wore a red ruffled gown she’d purchased in New York, and Murri Bishop had found her black ensemble at Mariel.
Mayor Michael Hancock said his enthusiasm for Saturday Night Alive stems from the fact that his wife, Mary Louise Lee, is a two-time Best Actress award recipient for roles in Denver Center Theatre Company productions.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and @GetItWrite on Twitter
