(Lake Worth Beach, FL – April 17, 2025) After 20 fabulous seasons, Dave Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, welcomed more than 100 friends and supporters to the final “conversation” of the popular series:

CULTURE & COCKTAILS

At The Ben

“Cheers to 20 Years! The Cultural Council was proud to have presented 96 amazing CULTURE & COCKTAILS conversations featuring over 300 memorable personalities from Tony Award-winning stars (Gary Beach, Faith Prince, Tommy Tune) to best-selling authors (Scott Eyman, Laurence Leamer, Scott Meltzer, James Patterson), from trendsetting designers (Iris Apfel, Badgley Mischka, Arnold Scaasi, Steven Stolman) to wow-worthy artists and performers (Harry Benson, Bruce Helander, Jason Newsted, Edward Villella); plus, so many much-loved and multi-talented neighbors who left us far too soon, such as Lucien Capehart, Alex Dreyfoos, Bob Lappin, John Marshall, Jan McArt, Sharon McDaniel, Jim Ponce, Burt Reynolds, Barry Seidman, James Sheeran, Muriel Siebert, Butch Trucks, and Jack Zink,” says Lawrence.

“CULTURE & COCKTAILS has had an extraordinary run, and we ended the series last Monday evening with a magical, musical flourish in the rooftop ballroom of The Ben in downtown West Palm Beach,” he said.

The series finale was organized by Master Showman Rob Russell, who is widely recognized as “Mr. Palm Beach,” and Broadway and cabaret star Avery Sommers, a true South Florida treasure. Among the nonstop performers who wowed the audience were:

·        Allyson Briggs, the “Glamor Girl of Jazz” who has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, and more. She also heads the Manhattan-based Fleur Seule Jazz Band.

·        Copeland Davis, the Emmy-nominated pianist and Tonight Show performer who has been inducted into the Las Vegas Entertainers Hall of Fame. He has also wowed audiences at Arts Garage, The Breakers, and The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach.

·        Patrick Lamb, the versatile saxophone player and vocalist who has toured with singers Smokey Robinson and Diane Schuur and has had three “top five” Billboard Hits.

·        Steve Leeds, an amazing singer who has been a regular headliner at such prestigious New York City hot spots as the Plaza, the Waldorf, the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, and more.

·        Kathy Oneill, a stunning singer with an international following who flew in from Hong Kong just to perform at the C&C finale.

The performers were accompanied by celebrated pianists Kim Forman and Phil Hinton.

The 2025 season of CULTURE & COCKTAILS was generously sponsored by The Roe Green Foundation, Roe Green, Founder; Donald M. Ephraim Family Foundation; Scott Teich, Senior Vice President, Teich Wealth Management of Raymond James; The Gardens Mall; Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC; Seacoast Bank; Palm Beach Media Group; Palm Beach Daily News; Legends Radio; and PR-BS, a Boca-based public relations firm.

About the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, Florida’s Cultural Capital®. Headquartered in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building in Downtown Lake Worth Beach, the Council presents exciting year-round exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County. The Council features spectacular work by Palm Beach County-based professional artists in its Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store and offers complimentary resources for visitors in its Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center. The Council is currently open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from Noon to 5 pm. For more information and a comprehensive calendar of cultural events in The Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.

Attached Jpeg:

(Photo Credit:  Premier Photo/Jacek Gancarz)

1.   Copeland Davis, Avery Sommers, Allyson Briggs, Kathy Oneill, Rob Russell, Steve Leeds, Patrick Lamb, Kim Forman