Kimmel Center’s ‘Great Stages Gala’ makes its splashy debut

Philadelphia’s successor event to the venerable Academy of Music Anniversary and Ball made its debut Tuesday night, turning the Academy stage and lobby areas into splashy party spaces for a couple of hours before revelers promenaded a block south to the Kimmel Center.

There, in Verizon Hall, soprano Renée Fleming and singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo performed, backed by the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

The Great Stages Gala — the first by a combined Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center since their 2021 merger — was hosted by recently retired TV anchor Jim Gardner, who, for his walk-on music, got a richly orchestrated version of the theme to 6ABC’s Action News.

“Jim, I hope that was not one time too many,” said Nézet-Séguin.

“I was going to say that I’ve heard it frequently, but never before played by the wondrous musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Gardner.

The event drew an audience of 1,800, including 400 who attended the preconcert gala. It grossed $900,000 and netted $400,000, said a spokesperson for the event, with proceeds going to the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. That’s a lower gross but higher net amount than the Academy Ball in most recent years.

“With so much turmoil and noise in our world, the arts provide an outlet for us to respond, to find solace, to connect with others,” said Nézet-Séguin near the end of the concert. “It is music’s role to bring joy — very important, as we witnessed just now — joy and connection to the world. And that’s what I hope we have done for you tonight.”