Gallo Center anniversary to honor Marie Gallo. See which national star will headline

The late Marie Damrell Gallo will be honored during the 15th Anniversary Gala at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto.

Broadway star and three-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters is set to headline the event Sept. 24.

Gallo, who died last year, spearheaded the establishment of the downtown venue, which opened in 2007. It had been her dream to open a performing arts center in Modesto.

Peters will perform along with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will follow opening remarks by the Gallo Center’s Board Chair Alex Mari, Chief Executive Officer Chad Hilligus, Marie Gallo’s niece Stephanie Gallo Tyler and former Stanislaus County supervisor Ray Simon, according to an email from Director of Marketing and Communications Doug Hosner.

The gala provides an opportunity to honor Marie Gallo, according to Hilligus.

“The Gallo Center was still shuttered due to COVID when Marie passed and her funeral was strictly limited to family at that time,” Hilligus said in another email from Hosner. “We are extremely humbled that the Gallo family is allowing us to celebrate Marie’s legacy now with such a special event.

“The center is such a remarkable piece of Marie’s story, that it seemed only fitting to honor her as we celebrate the 15th anniversary.”

There also will be a five-minute video tribute to Marie Gallo’s accomplishments for the center and the work that went into getting it built, according to Hosner. Speaking in the video will be Gallo Tyler, Simon, Fred Silva — who was the first board chair of the Gallo Center — and Marie Gallo’s son Tom Gallo.

There also will be a photo sequence depicting the construction and opening of the center.

The gala begins at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Gallo Center, 1000 I St., Modesto. Tickets are $75-$150, available at www.galloarts.org.