Music Theater Works is proud to announce its annual gala, the Producers Gala, Luck Be A Lady, Saturday, April 5 at 5 p.m. Luck Be A Lady, at the Michigan Shores Club at 911 Michigan Ave. The 2025 Producers Gala, co-chaired by Sasha Gerritson and Stephanie Bryan Kangas, begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour and is followed by a seated dinner, the presentation of the fourth annual Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence to Marilyn and Robert Arensman, a live auction and entertainment from Music Theater Works’ artists. The dinner is followed by the opening of the casino with craps and blackjack tables, roulette wheels, a Texas Hold’ Em table, and more music. Each attendee receives chips to play with their admission to the Gala and may purchase additional chips that would grant them access to win a variety of raffle prizes. Black tie/cocktail attire is encouraged. Funds raised at Luck Be A Lady support Music Theater Works education and artistic programming. Tickets available now through Friday, March 14 and are $250 each including access to the cocktail hour, seated dinner, live music and gaming. Tables of ten sponsorships are available for $2500. VIP Tables of 10 for $3500 or $5000 include additional chips for each of the ten guests, specialty wine served during dinner and champagne with the dessert course. For sponsorship information contact Lisa McGowan at Lisa@AWAMeetings.com and to reserve tickets go to MusicTheaterWorks.com.
“This year, the Producers Gala is a speakeasy-theme and you can be sure that the 2025 attendees will have an incredible time with the tables, the dinner, the 2025 presentation in honor of our more than three-decade relationship with Lynn and Bob Arensman and, of course music,” Producing Artistic Director Kyle A. Dougan said. “It will be an unforgettable night of celebrating Music Theater Works with supporters, old and new, and the hope is our guests will see just how nice, how nice this night can be.”
“We are deeply touched to receive this award, as Music Theater Works has been a very enjoyable, momentous and enduring part of our lives, as well as our children and grandchildren,” the 2025 Joyce Ruth Saxon Award-recipient Bob Arensman commented. “One of our cherished memories of this 34 year association is when we would host events at our Chicago home with beautiful views of the lake and our primary grade school grandchildren would charge the guests arriving with trays of canapés – their belief clearly that one needed food in hand before having a chance to deposit coats. We look forward to celebrating with and seeing so many of our friends from Music Theater Works at the Producers Gala.”
The 2025 Producers Gala Committee is Producing Artistic Director Kyle A. Dougan, Sasha Gerritson (co-chair), Marcia Kazurinsky, Valerie Romano Larson, Stephanie Bryan Kangas (co-chair), Rachel Pethiyagoda, Megan Piazza and Amrit Singh.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS FOR 2025 PRODUCERS GALA GALA
CAST AND CREW LEVEL - $5,000
• One Table for 10 Guests at Gala.
• Special Sponsorship recognition in the program.
• VIP Perks at your table (Specialty wine during dinner, champagne with dessert and additional chips).
LEAD ACTOR LEVEL - $7,500
• One Table for 10 Guests at Gala.
• Special sponsorship recognition in event materials and the program.
• VIP Perks at your table (Specialty wine during dinner, champagne with dessert, additional chips).
• Complimentary VIP valet parking and VIP check-in for you and your guests.
• Two complimentary tickets in the platinum section for two performances in the 2025 - 2026 season.
CONDUCTOR’S LEVEL - $10,000
• One Table for 10 Guests at Gala.
• Special sponsorship recognition in event materials and the program.
• VIP Perks at your table (Specialty wine during dinner, champagne with dessert, additional chips).
• Complimentary VIP valet parking and VIP check-in for you and your guests.
• Upgraded premier wines for your table.
• Two complimentary tickets premium seats to 2025-2026 performances. (Up to two shows for two people)
DIRECTOR’S LEVEL - $25,000
• One Premier Table location for 10 Guests at Gala near the stage.
• Exclusive VIP Cocktail Hour prior to Gala for you to meet the “stars” of Music Theater Works.
• Special sponsorship recognition in event materials including 2025-2026 season performance programs.
• Complimentary VIP valet parking and VIP check-in for you and your guests.
• Premier wines for your table.
• VIP dinner and special behind-the-scenes tour of North Shore Center for the Performing Arts for a show of your choice in the 2025-2026 season for up to four people.
• Two complimentary premium section tickets to 2025-2026 performances. (Up to two shows for two people)
• Invitations for four people to attend one of the dress rehearsals during the 2025- 2026 season.
PRODUCER’S LEVEL - $50,000
• One Premier Table for 10 Guests Center Stage at Gala.
• Exclusive VIP Cocktail Hour Prior to Gala for 10 Guests to meet the “stars” of Music Theater Works.
• Special sponsorship recognition in event materials including 2025-2026 season performance programs.
• Complimentary VIP valet parking and VIP check-in for you and your guests.
• Premier wines for your table.
• VIP Dinner and a special behind-the-scenes tour of North Shore Center for the Performing Arts for a show of your choice in the 2025-2026 season for up to six people.
• 12 Complimentary tickets in our Gold or Diamond Section to all four of the 2025- 2026 performances.
• Invitations for up to four people to attend one dress rehearsal during the 2025-2026 season.
ABOUT MARILYN AND ROBERT ARENSMAN, 2025 Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence Recipients
Marilyn and Robert Arensman have been life-long pediatric care givers. They have had long and fulfilling careers at Chicago’s outstanding pediatric facilities including Wyler Children’s Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Cook County Hospital, and the University of Illinois.
Lynn Arensman was born in Manila, attended Silliman University and Lucena Nursing School before arriving in Chicago to begin pediatric nursing at the Cook County Hospital. Bob Arensman was from “deep” Southern Illinois, attended Trinity College of Hartford and the UIC Medical School. Their paths intersected one night at the Cook County Hospital, and the rest, as they say, is now history.
The Arensmans lived for many years in New Orleans where Bob Arensman opened the division of pediatric surgery at the Ochsner Clinic and Hospital. They raised three children (Lisa, Roby, and Elena) there before transferring to the University of Chicago in 1990. They have been in Chicago since that employment and first encountered Light Opera Works when they set up a home in Hyde Park. Their relationship blossomed into a long and close association with the leadership of Light Opera Works - Bridget McDonough, Rudy Hogenmiller, and a very young Kyle Dougan. Through those many years, they have seen that organization transform to today’s Music Theater Works.
2025 Joyce Saxon Award Recipients Marilyn and Robert Arensman
ABOUT MUSIC THEATER WORKS
Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit music theater founded in 1980. During its 44-year history it has presented more than 150 productions and intimate presentations. Music Theater Works is a professional theater company whose mission is to present works for the musical stage including historic repertoire, revitalizing the Golden Age of Broadway and earlier works, celebrating the Great American Songbook and introducing modern classics.