"I did that once," said Richard Rauh as he watched the aerial acrobatics of kNOTDancers Maddy Landi, Meagan Reagle and Jay Regalado during Saturday's Q Ball. "I did a show once where I had to fly in. They hoisted me up, and when I was flying off, I hit the back wall."
Secured by aerial tissues draped from the rafters inside the Clear Story Studios in the South Side, the performers garnered their fair share of gawk-eyed attention from the 200-plus in attendance.
"I can't deal with acrobats," laughed Lisa Favorini, with her husband, Buck. "I didn't work out today, and they are making me feel guilty."
Hitting the magic number in ticket sales a week prior, Quantum Theatre created an extraordinary melting-pot of older and wiser meets young and restless for its annual benefit that saw the likes of David Bennett, Robin Brady, Jerry Morosco and Paul Ford, Dr. Helene Finegold, Hilary Robinson, Mary Murrin, Nick Gigante, Dr. Larry Leahy and John Vandegrift, CSS creative director Rob Long and Veronica Corpuz.
"They do a fantastic job of drama in the most interesting places," observed Jack Brice, echoing Quantum's M.O. to stage full-scale productions in unusual venues.
As Cello Fury underscored the VIP hour with its signature soundtrack of moody infatuation, artistic director Karla Boos and Joel Le Gall circulated with the likes of co-chairs Caryn Rubinoff and Craig Dunham and Joshua and Annie Siebert, board prez Dave DeSimone , and Pam and Ken McCrory, who was spotted deep in conversation with event designer Richard Parsakian.
"Since the theme is Ides of March, it's very Roman. It's provocative, with Fellini-ish costumes," Parsakian offered, describing the inspiration behind the promise for the ball to be a "bloody good time."
Well into the evening, the party was just beginning for the general-ticket holders, who came filing in for a dance party with DJ J.Malls while a handful of VIPs unceremoniously waved the white flag.
"I remember when we wouldn't even go out before 10 o'clock. ... Now, that's my bedtime," sighed one reveler.
