EDITOR’S NOTE: Few in town attend more events than Bill Brett and so Bill and his team have been getting queries about what events have been canceled (short answer, everything) and if we have any information on what events have already been rescheduled.
To keep as up-to-date as possible — and figure out where we’ll be this fall, we hope — we are compiling this list, which we will update as we are given information, of galas, fundraising and non-profit events in the Boston area that have been postponed or canceled due to concerns related to the spread of the Coronavirus. When events get new dates or information becomes available, we will update as well. ALL PHOTOS ARE FROM OUR ARCHIVES AND BY BILL BRETT
Thank you for your support of Bill Brett Boston and for supporting the many causes and charities that Bill has covered over the years. Please send any item you want included in this listing to [email protected] We will do our best to post in a timely manner. (We have always been big fans of Jim Martinho’s The Boston Calendar and he continues to do a great job of organizing so many gatherings of all sizes. You can find his calendar here. And, the folks over at WBUR’s Artery have done a great job of collecting the arts groups affected by the closures, which you can review here.)
EVENTS:
RESCHEDULED: Pianist/composer Laszlo Gardony’s concert originally scheduled for March 27 has been rescheduled for Friday, September 11, 2020 at The Spire Center in Plymouth.
AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER: The 2020 ART annual gala, originally scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020 at the Boch Center Wang Theatre, was postponed to the fall of 2020. The ART’s online auction continues, with new items added regularly. For the auction, click here. …All ART and Oberon events have been postponed or cancelled — a full list can be found here. For more information, see the ART’s website.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF DORCHESTER: The New England Women’s Leadership Awards (NEWLA) are postponed. The New England Women’s Leadership Awards, which was originally scheduled for May 7, 2020 at the Seaport Hotel, will now be held on Monday, September 28, 2020 at the Seaport Hotel. For more information about the event please click here. If you have any questions regarding NEWLA, please reach out to Patty Lamb, Director of Development & Communications, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester, at [email protected]
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION: The Boston Hot Pink Party (originally scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2020) has been rescheduled for October 22, 2020. As previously announced, the honorees are Sinesia and Bill Karol, Co-Chairs Nancy Adams and Scott Schoen, Adelle Chang and Eddie Yoon, Simone and Ted Winston. Prior to the postponement, the event had raised more than $1.1 million to date for cutting-edge science. If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Wasserman, Director, Development & Regional Events at 646-497-2606 or [email protected].
COMMONWEALTH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: In light of current developments, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 CSC gala, scheduled for March 28, 2020. Like so many of our fellow arts organizations, we will comply with Governor Baker’s directive to limit large-scale events in order to keep our community safe. The annual CSC gala has become a signature event in Boston, bringing our lively community of artists together with loyal supporters to raise critical funds for our programs, in particular free Shakespeare on the Common. Please stay with us while we explore alternate dates and formats – we promise to keep you informed as plans progress. For those of you who have purchased 2020 CSC Gala tickets and/or tables, we ask that you remain patient while we explore our options — all tickets will be transferable to the new date. If we are unable to reschedule or if you cannot make the new date, we hope that you will consider converting your purchase into a gift in support of our programs. Rest assured: the show will go on! We are committed to presenting The Tempest this summer — our 25th production of free Shakespeare on the Boston Common. Or those who have not yet purchased tickets to the gala (and even those that have!), we hope you will consider a tax deductible donation to help fund this summer’s production and CSC’s ongoing education programs. You can do so here online, or by sending a check made out to Commonwealth Shakespeare Company to 101 Arch St., 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.
BURN SURVIVORS OF NEW ENGLAND: The annual gala for the Burn Survivors of New England that had been scheduled for May 2, 2020, at Florian Hall in Dorchester, has been canceled. Event organizers report that refunds are being made. For more information contact event organizer David Vogel through the organization’s website, click here.
THE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY: The Handel and Haydn Society’s Ball Gala, scheduled for May 2, 2020, that had been slated to take place at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, hotel, has been postponed. The annual Society Ball “brings our artists together with loyal supporters to raise critical funds for our programs. Please stay with us while we explore alternate dates – we promise to keep you informed as plans progress. …For those of you who have purchased 2020 Society Ball tickets and/or tables, we ask that you remain patient while we explore our options. If you cannot make the new date, we hope that you will consider converting your purchase into a gift in support of our programs.” For more, see the H&H website, here.
MIT McDERMOTT GALA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s annual McDermott Award Gala, scheduled for April 25, 2020, has been postponed. The event was slated to honor Thomas Heatherwick as the 2020 Recipient of the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT. The 2019 honoree was Audra McDonald. For more information, click here.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: From MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum, “I am deeply inspired by the sense of community I have witnessed as we collectively address the challenges we all face. MFA members and visitors are foremost in my thoughts and your safety and security are of greatest concern. As we closely monitor guidelines regarding public gatherings, we have come to the difficult decision to cancel the Museum’s 44th annual Art in Bloom, scheduled for May 2 to 4, 2020. Art in Bloom is a beloved springtime tradition, organized with passion, devotion, and hard work by our volunteer corps of MFA Associates. We look forward to welcoming you to a glorious Art in Bloom in spring 2021. …It is in times of uncertainty that we find strength in community and inspiration in art. I invite you to explore the MFA’s online resources and media; here we offer ways to create meaningful connections with art, no matter where you are.”
TEAMSTERS, LOCAL 25: The 13th annual “Light Up the Night” gala, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2020, has been postponed, according to Local 25’s Sean O’Brien. The event, which raises money to support local and national Autism awareness organizations, was slated to be held at the Greater Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Al tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date. The raffle of a 2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle is still taking place this spring. To learn more about this event please lick here.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY: The Society’s headquarters and archives are closed and all event programming has been suspended. Also, the MHS’s annual “Making History” gala, set for May 5, 2020, has been postponed. The speaker was slated to be Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham, who also is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, and contributing editor at TIME. His #1 New York Times bestseller, “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels.” MHS encourages all to “continue to support the gala to help keep us on track for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2020. All sponsorships and tickets purchased in FY20 will be honored for the rescheduled date in the fall.” For more information or to donate to the Massachusetts Historical Society, click here.
