NEVADA BALLET THEATRE NAMES MULTI-TALENTED ICON, FLORENCE HENDERSON AS ITS 2014 WOMAN OF THE YEAR FOR THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLACK & WHITE BALL
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 AT ARIA RESORT & CASINO, CITYCENTER
ANNUAL EVENT WILL KICK-OFF HENDERSON ’S 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Sponsored by: 
LAS VEGAS, NV (Friday, September 27, 2013) Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) announced today the 30th anniversary of the Black& White Ball, the 42 year-old ballet company’s annual fundraiser. Doubling as a special 80th birthday celebration for its 2014 honoree and ‘Woman of the Year’, acclaimed star Florence Henderson, the Black & White Ball will be held on Saturday, January 25 at ARIA Resort & Casino, CityCenter.
Broadway, film and television star; singer, spokeswoman, humanitarian and motivational speaker, Florence Henderson’s career has spanned every inch of the entertainment industry from the 1950s until today. Known for being America ’s most beloved “TV Mom,” from her time on the ABC sitcom, The Brady Bunch, this all-around talent has made an indelible mark throughout each decade of her illustrious career.
From cooking shows to talk shows, to variety shows; to thousands of guest appearances and numerous product endorsements, Florence Henderson’s career began at age 17 when she enrolled in New York ’s prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Shortly thereafter, her talents were noticed by Rodgers and Hammerstein who commissioned her to play the lead in the national tour of OKLAHOMA ! Over the past 50 years, she has established herself as one of the world’s leading entertainers, being ranked by TV Land and Entertainment Weekly “as one of the greatest TV icons.”
“We have enjoyed 30 wonderful years of honoring pillars of our community as well as Broadway performers, lauded actresses, dancers, choreographers and other female luminaries who have not only contributed positively to the performing arts, but have brought awareness and much needed funds to the ballet,” says NBT Co-Founder and Board Co-Chair Nancy Houssels. “These legendary women have truly come full-circle in their careers and our 2014 honoree is no different,” adds Houssels. “Florence Henderson’s astounding career has touched thousands of lives and encompassed every aspect of the arts and entertainment world. We are more than excited to celebrate our 30th anniversary as well as the start of her 80th birthday celebration.”
In 2010, Florence Henderson dazzled the country with her dancing skills as one of twelve featured celebrities on Dancing with the Stars, partnering with professional dancer Corky Ballas. She continues to make appearances in film, television, commercials and talk shows. She is a strong supporter of several charities including the City of Hope Cancer Research Center for which she is a spokeswoman and the House Ear Institute, dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with hearing loss.
Touted as the “crème de la crème” of society events by Luxury Las Vegas Magazine, the Black & White Ball is one of the most well-known and revered charity galas in Las Vegas, welcoming an array of local celebrities, dignitaries, VIP’s and local arts supporters. For 30 years, this star-studded gala has raised important funds for NBT, enabling the company to produce professional company productions at its performance home, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts; provide quality dance instruction within its affiliated school, the Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre; and serve at-risk populations of youth in Clark County - bringing free in-school dance instruction and exposure to the art form through its highly-successful Education and Outreach program, Future Dance.
Past honorees of the Black & White Ball include stars of stage and screen: Debbie Reynolds, Chita Rivera, Carol Channing, Celine Dion, Ann-Margret, Rita Rudner, Paula Abdul, Twyla Tharp, Bette Midler, Marie Osmond, Priscilla Presley, Eva Longoria and most recently Mitzi Gaynor. NBT has honored these legendary women for their dedication to the performing arts and often times, their special connection to Las Vegas .
ABOUT FLORENCE HENDERSON
From the boards of the Broadway stage to television and the silver screen, Florence Henderson has conquered just about every aspect of entertainment. So successfully in fact, that the multi-talented actress, talk show host, recording artist, author, Broadway veteran, and philanthropist was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute’s first permanent Entertainment History Exhibit as one of the greatest pop cultural icons of all time in November 2008, as well as receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In July of 2012 Florence received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association to Teaching of Singers (NATS.org). Her enthusiasm, professionalism, commitment to quality and artistry has made Ms. Henderson one of the most respected and endearing performers of our time.
Henderson’s career is as active today as when she first appeared as the “Today Girl” on NBC’s TODAY SHOW and the first woman to host THE TONIGHT SHOW. Florence is no stranger to television today, appearing on such popular prime time programs as “Samantha Who” and made for television specials such as the critically acclaimed movie of the week for Hallmark entitled “Ladies of the House” and the very popular RLTV Network’s FLORENCE HENDERSON SHOW currently airing on DirectTV. Of course, she will always be best known in syndication worldwide as “ America ’s Favorite Mom” and matriarch Carol Brady, on the classic hit TV series THE BRADY BUNCH.
Acknowledged as one of the top leading spokespersons in the U.S. , Florence has been a celebrity spokeswoman for Oldsmobile, Polident, Tang, Rain Soft, Pepsi Light and Wesson Oil. In fact, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, based on consumer appeal, rated her #5 out of the 10 top television endorsers. So, it was no surprise when she was approached as a spokeswoman to help viewers get ready for the Analog-to-Digital TV Conversion in 2009. With a career built on trust and talent, Florence maintains a busy schedule as one of the most popular and sought after motivational speakers as well as performing her one-woman show entitled ALL THE LIVES OF ME…A Musical Journey.
The audience interactive experience of ALL THE LIVES OF ME…A Musical Journey, retraces her life starting as a child growing up during the Depression. Florence ’s penchant for performing began as the youngest of 10 children to a sharecropper and his wife in a close-knit Midwestern family. Henderson ’s mother taught her to sing, and at age two she had a repertoire of 50 songs, note perfect. At 8, Henderson was working in her father’s field, and by 12 she was singing at the local store for groceries.
Her acting career began at age 17, when Florence entered New York ’s prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts with financial assistance from a schoolmate’s parents. By age 18 she was making her Broadway debut, and then landed a part in Joshua Logan’s musical, WISH YOU WERE HERE. Although the part was small, Florence ’s flair and sheer talent attracted the attention of the legendary team of Rodgers & Hammerstein, who promptly stole her away to play the lead in the last national tour of OKLAHOMA !
Ms. Henderson’s reputation as a bright new star proceeded to Hollywood , where she starred in THE GREAT WALTZ for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Logan “reclaimed” her, and she returned to New York to originate the starring role of FANNY. Florence ’s already-impressive resume includes her Brava performance as “Maria” in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, the lead in THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER, Noel Coward’s last show on Broadway and her performance to sell-out crowds in the Lincoln Center production of SOUTH PACIFIC as “Nellie Forbush.” Her drawing power and incredible appeal propelled her into to the starring role of “Anna” opposite Ricardo Montalban’s “King of Siam” in the production of THE KING AND I.
Florence’s magic touch was hardly limited to the stage. Her first feature film, THE SONG OF NORWAY, was shot over 8 months on location in Europe , bringing her into the international spotlight.
This multi-faceted actress broke new ground in television, as the star of one of the medium’s most beloved and longest-running situation comedies, THE BRADY BUNCH. In 1969, when Henderson took the role, she wanted to make Carol a bit more realistic, begging the studio to let the character have a job, but her request was refused. The classic series aired for 5 seasons (1969-1974); has never been off the air in this country, and currently airs in 122 countries around the world.
As a producer and a talk-show host, her credits include 9 seasons of The Nashville Network’s cooking and comedy series COUNTRY KITCHEN and the experiences inspired her to write a cookbook, A Little Cooking, A Little Talking and A Whole Lot of Fun. Currently, DirectTV is airing the very popular RLTV Network’s FLORENCE HENDERSON SHOW. Florence ’s shows are lively and spontaneous, offering a nostalgic pop cultural program including interviews with legendary guests and on location visits to famous Hollywood landmarks as well as first hand experiences such as flying with the Lima Lima Aviation Team.
In the mid 80’s Florence met and married John Kappas who introduced her to the study of hypnotherapy, and eventually becoming a hypnotherapist herself. In 2002, Florence faced the ultimate family challenge when her husband of 18 years was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Since that time, Florence has become a featured health care and motivational speaker, specializing in women's health and is a spokeswoman for City of Hope Cancer Research Center among her other humanitarian interests.
Whether on stage, screen, feature films, television or the printed page, her legion of fans internationally and nationally can count on her to continue sharing the many talents she possesses, and the warmth and exuberance with which she does so.
ABOUT NEVADA BALLET THEATRE
Under the artistic direction of James Canfield, Nevada Ballet Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Las Vegas and the largest professional ballet company and dance Academy in the state. Committed to the highest artistic standards, this classically-based company is at home in an eclectic repertory, moving easily from the classics to the high-energy contemporary ballets. The mission of Nevada Ballet Theatre is to educate and inspire statewide, regional and national audiences and vitally impact community life through professional company productions, dance training and education and outreach. Nevada Ballet Theatre is the resident ballet company of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment