The 2005 Spotlight Spectacular!, the Huntington’s annual benefit event, was held at the Westin Copley Place Boston on Monday, May 9, 2005. The event, chaired by Huntington Trustee Judi Krupp and her husband Douglas, honored Ronald M. Druker for his outstanding commitment and generosity to the Huntington.

Michael T. Weiss, last seen in the Huntington’s production of Burn This and slated to star in the upcoming Les Liaisons Dangereuses, served as host, welcoming to the stage such talented performers as Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Debra Monk, Melinda Lopez and Will LeBow, who provided the evening’s entertainment.

Other Spectacular! highlights included the debut of the Huntington’s first annual online auction, which allowed friends of the Huntington to bid on a range of unique auction items in the weeks leading up to the benefit. As part of the "live" auction, guests pledged more than $80,000 to "Sponsor-a-Class," which will help to bring thousands of Boston area students to Huntington productions this season. The live auction, which was helmed by the Huntington’s Vice Chairman of the Board Bill McQuillan, also included a walk-on role for two in the Huntington’s production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; a once-in-a-lifetime stay at the Padua Stables horse farm and training facility in Ocala, Florida, with box seats to one of the Triple Crown races in 2006; and tickets to the sold-out Bruce Springsteen show at the Orpheum.

For the third straight year this evening raised record revenue, bringing in more than $625,000 to help support the Huntington’s productions and programs. These funds are particularly important to the Huntington’s award-winning Youth, Education, and Community Outreach initiatives, which rely on fundraising for approximately 90% of their budgets.