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The mythical Kingdom of Quivira morphed into a smoky nightclub Saturday night.
The 113th Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation Ball at the Qwest Center Omaha celebrated the former Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum's heyday in the 1960s, when performers such as Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Rosemary Clooney and Robert Goulet graced the stage.
Saturday's event also marked the return of the king.
Lee G. Simmons, former director of the Henry Doorly Zoo and current chairman of the Omaha Zoo Foundation, was crowned king. He succeeded the Rev. John P. Schlegel, Creighton University president, who last year took the title “most honored citizen of Quivira” instead of king.
Allison Grace Conley, daughter of Deborah Marks Conley and John H. Conley, both of Omaha, was crowned queen.
The ball, titled “For One Night Only,” honored the contributions of the more than 200 families in Nebraska and western Iowa who were princesses, escorts, pages, councillors and other participants in the elegant Quivira pageant.
About 2,500 guests attended. Proceeds will be used to fund 100 scholarships of $5,000 each. The money is part of the Ak-Sar-Ben/Horatio Alger Scholarship Fund.
Women's Ball Committee Chairwoman Mary Johnson selected the theme with inspiration from the hit television series “Mad Men,” the story of an early 1960s advertising agency on New York City's Madison Avenue.
But the theme also saluted Ak-Sar-Ben's historical and cultural contribution to the community.
“Ak-Sar-Ben made it possible and affordable to experience the most glamorous stars in the entertainment firmament,” an opening video sequence explained. “Ak-Sar-Ben was the first word in concert and nightclub-style entertainment, and audiences, dressed in their finest, waited breathlessly for their favorites to appear on stage.”
The nightclub theme was evident in many aspects of the evening.
Tables were decorated with platinum linens and flickering cocktail lights, calling to mind the smoky environs of a glamorous early '60s supper club.
The royal court of about 25 princesses from the Omaha area and 25 heartland princesses from Nebraska and western Iowa were decked out in black-and-white party dresses. They were serenaded on stage to the music of Cole Porter. Their escorts, meanwhile, arrived in a sea of tuxedos.
Highlights of the evening included the presentation of the Royal Court and the coronation.
Simmons appeared in the traditional royal satin breeches, brocade coat and long train. Conley wore an elegant strapless white gown designed by Kenneth Poole. After Jeffrey Taxman, playing the prime minister of Quivira, presented her with the crown, the band played the Etta James hit “At Last.”
M. Michele Phillips wrote the script. Patrick Roddy was choreographer, and Jim Othuse oversaw the set and lighting. Lara Marsh of the Omaha Community Playhouse was stage manager, Tom Ware of the Ware House was sound designer, and Stephanie Anderson was production director.
Chuck Penington led the orchestra, which was arranged onstage like a big band.
After new honorees were announced, children wearing renaissance-style page costumes skipped down the central pathway carrying large lollipops. “The Candy Man,” the hit song made famous by Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr., played in the background.
The coronation, preceded by cocktails and a dinner of filet Wellington with roasted mushrooms, was held in the exhibit hall of the convention center.
After the pageant, guests moved to the ballroom, where they danced to the music of local band Wiseguys.
Contact the writer:
444-1076, john.pitcher@owh.com
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