PartySlate Dinner Party With Miguel Cervantes, Star Of Broadway’s Hamilton
On February 13, PartySlate hosted an intimate group of investors and press at the new private concert venue, In Studio Live, for the ultimate dinner party to celebrate the one year anniversary of the company. The evening included a gourmet dinner and a private concert from the star of Broadway’s Hamilton, Miguel Cervantes. Notable guests included movers and shakers such as: Art Norman, Linda Johnson Rice, Ji Suk Yi, Candace Jordan, Susanna Homan, Shia Kapos, Debi Lilly, Monika Dixon and D.C. Crenshaw.
PartySlate launched ten months ago with a bang in Chicago and is now gearing up for national expansion with this new round of financing. The website allows people planning larger scale events to find new ideas by viewing and saving a curated set of beautiful photos posted by leading event professionals across the country. Unlike Pinterest, every photo is linked back to the event professionals that produced the event, including planners, decor companies, caterers, photographers, entertainment and venues. From intimate dinner parties like this Hamilton event, to corporate events, fundraising galas, milestone events and weddings, PartySlate is the only website that allows these professionals to showcase all of their work.
The Venue: In Studio Live
Located in the heart of Bucktown, this private recording studio boasts state of the art music facilities, a studio that is available for a seated dinner (up to 72 guests!) and an intimate concert setting. Owned and operated by top music industry veterans, Ira Antelis and David Petro, their professional team can book headline entertainment into private events for the most exclusive experience.
The Entertainment
The star of the night was Miguel Cervantes, who plays Alexander Hamilton in Broadway smash hit, Hamilton. Cervantes charmed the audience with a set list that included songs with personal meaning for him. Cervantes, who moved to Chicago from New Jersey with his family last summer, said that the role of Hamilton has changed his life. After a string of roles in Broadway shows from American Idiot and If/Then, Cervantes declared that he was done with Broadway. “I saw Hamilton in New York, it was great, as great as everyone said that it was,” Cervantes said. “But I was done with theater. Unless Lin (Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton) called.”
He called. Five weeks later Cervantes was taking over the role of Hamilton as the lead in Chicago. And as Miguel wholeheartedly acknowledges that the role has been “an unbelievable upgrade for our lives,” he maintains a humble disposition and credits the power of music influencing so many moments of his life. “I remember listening to the radio as a kid with my dad and thinking about the melodies and how the music made me think and how it made you feel a certain way,” he said. “When you stop and turn your head and think — wait what was that, it changes the way you think, you stand.”
That was certainly the case at the PartySlate event, where Cervantes shared personal favorite songs, such as “One Angry Dwarf” from Ben Folds Five, and “Hey Kid” from If/Then, a song that he first performed when his wife, Kelly, was pregnant with their son (which left the audience with dusty eyes!). The crowd went wild when he performed a rendition of “Wait for It” (a song that he actually doesn’t sing in Hamilton) and “Bust a Move” from Young MC. Cervantes is a big believer that a playlist can make or break a dinner experience.
Dinner
Entertaining Company channeled the life of Alexander Hamilton as inspiration for their dinner experience. Waiters greeted guests with Painkiller cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres including pulled jerk chicken, tuna tartar and shredded short rib popovers. Guests dined on a “West Indies Salad” — inspired by Nevis, the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. Dinner was spice-encrusted baby lamb chops, parsnip puree and roasted vegetables.
Decor and Design
Kehoe Designs drew inspiration from the authentic recording studio and amplified the space with a custom speaker backdrop as guests entered the venue. The cocktail party featured the Rockwell crank table and a custom step and repeat. The intimate dinner featured four of Kehoe’s spoke tables accented with Tablescapes Event Rentals black mirage chairs, and four additional tables dressed in steel linens with Kehoe’s phantom chairs.
Capturing the Event
Long after “Bust a Move” wrapped, the memories of this special evening will live on. Bob & Dawn Davis Photography & Design captured the special details and moments of the evening with impeccable style. Video from XPress Video Productions!