Stunning Results and Photos From a Magical Night

After some old-school math and spreadsheet fun with our accounting team, we have the final results for our annual fundraiser, Dancing With The Carolina Stars! Drum roll please… Thanks to your generous donations, raffle purchases, live auction bids, sponsorships, and membership signups, we raised $161, 775! 

For those who joined us at the event, we were in for some fun and surprises from the stage, and for those who couldn’t make it, here are a few of the most memorable moments from the evening: 

• Mayor Williams kicked off the show with a Bull City shoutout and highlighted what makes Durham- and the Carolina Theatre – so dope. The audience cheered him on as he shared why it’s so important to support the arts and what they mean for our future.
• Randy McKay, our President and CEO, made a stylish entrance in a custom velvet suit emblazoned with gold sequin stars. This showstopper was actually his second suit of the night- he had three costume changes in total! The iconic styles are courtesy of his husband, Diogo, who also wowed attendees with his spectacular rhinestone glasses.
• Nicole Thompson energized the crowd with her dazzling entrance, complete with a custom headband (a Jennifer Donner exclusive design!) and flashing disco ball necklace. She was in for a special surprise when the crowd gave her an impromptu rendition of “happy birthday” to celebrate the occasion.

• Farad Ali gave an unforgettable performance to commemorate the bonds we share that bring us all together. He was joined onstage by his daughter, Ellington, and ShaLeigh Comerford, who was actually Ellington’s dance instructor when she was a child!
• The cast, crew, and staff closed the show with a finale choreographed by the one-and-only Willie Hinton, who got everyone out of their seats with his irresistible energy and mesmerizing moves. Willie arranged a dance rehearsal on the outdoor plaza the week before the event and had the staff and passersby grooving with him for an hour!
• The festivities ended with a star-studded after party, complete with an amazing dance duet with Stormie Daie and the Disco Ball Diva…on roller skates!

The lucky winners of our raffle and live auction items have been contacted, and we’re grateful for everyone who participated. To help remember the magic of the night, we have created an album of photos taken by the incredible HuthPhoto team, who also captured some video clips of the mingling and merriment from the reception and after-party. We would love to include your photos in the album, and please feel free to share them with us to add to the starry nostalgia. 

Thank you to all of our theater friends and family who made the event so memorable, and for supporting the theater throughout the year. The Carolina Theatre is a place of community and connection and the magic is only possible because of you.