Diahann Carroll Headlines Goodman Theatre's Gala

This year's gala is headlined by Tony Award-winning actress Diahann Carroll, whose distinguished career includes the films Carmen Jones, Paris Blues, Porgy & Bess, Hurry Sundown, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Eve's Bayou and Claudine, for which she received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. Carroll received Emmy Award nominations for Naked City, Julia and A Different World, and she starred in The Diahann Carroll Show and Dynasty.

Funds raised at the Red & Black Ball will be donated to the educational programs at Goodman Theatre. Women's Board member Karen Pigott is the Gala Chair and Trustee Ruth Ann Gillis is the Corporate Chair. The Honorable and Mrs. Richard M. Daley are the Honorary Chairs. Lester N. Coney is Chairman of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees and Alice Young Sabl is Women's Board Chair. The Major Gala Sponsor is an Anonymous donor. Gala Sponsor Partners are Katherine A. Abelson and Robert J. Cornell; Sharon and Charles Angell; CAN; Exelon; Ellen and Paul Gignilliat; McDonald's; Karen and Dick Pigott; Alice and John J. Sabl.

Goodman Theatre, recipient of the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, is a leader in the American theater and internationally recognized for its artists, productions and education programs. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the Goodman is committed to producing classic and contemporary works, giving full voice to a wide range of artists and visions. Central to that mission is the Goodman Artistic Collective, including Frank Galati, Mary Zimmerman, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Henry Godinez. -- www.goodmantheatre.org