PHOTO FLASH: GrooveLily, David Henry Hwang, Vienna Teng, Jeanine Tesori at TheatreWorks Gala

Playwright David Henry Hwang emceed the entertainment portion of Theatreworks’ Gala 40, held at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, May 8. The benefit raised a half million dollars for the company.

Performers included Tony-nominated composer Jeanine Tesori, composer/chanteuse Vienna Teng, and GrooveLily’s Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda.

The event paid tribute to two Silicon Valley innovators: Robert Kelley, founding artistic director of TheatreWorks, for Innovation in the Arts, and Frank Quattrone, CEO of Qatalyst Group, for Innovation in Technology.

The concert also featured songs from TheatreWorks world premieres Emma and Daddy Long Legs, written by Tony nominee Paul Gordon (who was also in attendance), as well as music from Tony nominee Andrew Lippa’s A Little Princess, performed by guest artists.

For more information, visit www.theatreworks.org.