Tony Award winner Nicole Scherzinger headlined a sold-out, black-tie Kravis Center gala that transformed the West Palm Beach venue into “The Conjurer’s Ball” on Thursday, March 5, delighting about 500 guests and raising funds for the center’s artistic and educational programs.
The annual benefit, chaired by Kristen and David Lambert and Renay and Bill A. Meyer, with Sherry and Tom Barrat as honorary chairs, leaned into its illusion-and-magic theme from the cocktail hour onward. Strolling magicians performed close-up sleight of hand among patrons before the crowd moved into the mainstage auditorium for Scherzinger’s set. David Lambert, board chair and gala co-chair, called the evening “truly magical,” and highlighted the event’s role in supporting arts education that he said has reached more than three million students through the Kravis Center since 1992.
Scherzinger’s appearance — grand and theatrically paced — included a dramatic cape entrance and a run through Broadway standards before she left the stage to sing from among the audience. Her rendition of the Pussycat Dolls hit “Don’t Cha” prompted one memorable moment when a gentleman, apparently undeterred by the singer’s spotlight, continued a hurried exit to the restroom amid laughter in the packed house. The anecdote underscored the lighthearted tone of an evening that mixed high-glamour performance with interactive surprises.
After the performance, guests filed into the Gimelstob Ballroom for a seated dinner that matched the evening’s theatricality: crab and shrimp gazpacho to start, a duet of filet mignon with Maine lobster tail as the entrée, and a golden egg dessert of chocolate mousse and passion fruit. Kravis Events by Lessing’s Hospitality Group catered the meal, which organizers praised for its presentation and taste.
Bill A. Meyer, chairman emeritus and gala co-chair, reflected on the gala’s impact, noting that many students “experience live theater for the first time” at the Kravis Center and that the night’s generosity helps “keep that spark alive.” The Meyers’ presence carried personal resonance: Meyer proposed to Renay on the dance floor at last year’s gala, and the couple, now married, circulated through the room to thank donors and greet tables.
Throughout dinner, magicians continued to weave among guests, offering table-side illusions that kept the mood lively. Organizers reported the event sold out at 500 attendees and described the evening as an example of the Kravis Center’s blend of world-class entertainment and fundraising to support its artistic and educational mission for future generations.