An Evening of Heart Felt Entertainment

Each year the Heart Foundation Gala assembles an all-star roster of talent (both on stage and off) and this year was no exception.

 

This year it was held at The Hollywood Palladium, rather than a hotel. The well-known theater was the perfect venue to make a statement that entertainment was at the heart of this celebration. And the marquis gave AOO Live the perfect canvas upon which to splash the name of this year's honorees, Dr. P.K. Shah and Kimberly Shah.

Dr. P.K. Shah had either impacted the lives of many in attendance directly, as was the case with Dana Carvey, or helped save the life of a close relative as was the case wth Michael Buble and his grandfather. With Irving Azoff, a powerful personal manager in the music and recording industry, and a staunch supporter of the foundation, the ante went up event farther when he asked Ryan Seacrest and American Idol to get involved.

The program began with a warm welcome from Ryan Seacrest. When he announced that $1 dollar from every ticket sold on the American Idol National Tour would go to the Heart Foundation you can bet that welcome heated up quite a bit!

 

Next came the announcement of the Heart Foundation Endowment by
Chairman of the Board, Marc Litman.

At the end of his speech was another surprise -- volunteers entered from every corner of the room handing out eReaders from Sony. Each guest received one, which already held the complete Tribute Journal.

 

Gwen Stefani with her eReader.

 

It was then time for dinner served by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and also a patient of Dr. Shah's.  

 

While guests were enjoying dinner, comedian Dana Carvey took the stage before an auction which featured a trip to Tahiti, an LA Sports Package, LA Music Package, and more.  

 

 

Afterward the big guns were pulled in. David Foster took the stage to perform and toast Dr. Shah, then surprised everyone by bringing out Paul Anka and Michael Buble to perform a song written especially for Dr. Shah. 

When finished, Buble stayed on stage for a 60-minute set with a 12-piece orchestra that brought down the house.  After a moving video tribute to the doctor and his wife, David Foster presented them with the Stephen S. Cohen Humanitarian Award. 

 

 

 

 In all, the stage was certainly set for what turned out to be a very touching evening filled with celebration and honor for a deserving couple and The Heart Foundation.

For more on the stage and decor, see last week's post here.

The Team
Co-Executive Producer, Designer, Creative Director: AOO Live
Co-Executive Producer: Lisa Sapiro Unique Promotions and Special Events
Lighting: Images by Lighting
Sound: Goodman Audio
Video: American Television Inc. (ATI)
Rentals: Classic Party Rental
Linen: Wildflower Linens
Floral: AOO Events
Food and Beverage: Wolfgang Puck Catering
Venue: Hollywood Palladium
Scripting: Ruth Moyte, Red Dandelion Creative
PR: Katy Sweet Public Relations
Collateral: Tribute Journal Graphic Design