I recently attended a very special dinner on a very special evening presented by Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH). It was an evening that I will remember for years to come, especially for two reasons. One was that this annual dinner, which has become one of the city’s most prestigious award galas, recognized two women that I have always admired……..the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the evenings honoree (posthumously) who I will always remember as a true champion of women and the rights of all in our generation and another was the evening’s performer, the multi-talented Kristin Chenoweth, who never seizes to amaze me with her wide range of talent. It was her performance that evening that proved to be the perfect choice for such a uniquely special evening.
That evening was May 17, 2022 at the Hilton Americas-Houston as the Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH) honored Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (posthumously) with the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award, accepted by the late icon’s son James Ginsburg. Topping off the evening was a rousing performance by Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth. The soirée raised in excess of $2 million for general operating funds with a focus on educational programming, making this year’s dinner one of the most successful in the Museum’s history and one of the largest with 1,300 guests.
About the Award: Holocaust Museum Houston presents the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award to individuals who have taken a stand against injustice, hatred and prejudice, and used their skills and influence to make a better world for all people. This year’s recipient, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, affectionately called “RBG” by her supporters, has inspired generations of women to break gender barriers. Even after facing gender discrimination as she pursued her academic goals, Ginsburg forged ahead and became the second woman—and first Jewish woman—to serve on the Supreme Court.
The 2022 LBJ Moral Courage Award occurred in conjunction with the exhibition Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a vibrant exploration of the life of the judicial trailblazer. The exhibition’s only stop in Texas is on view through July 31 in the Josef and Edith Mincberg Gallery at Holocaust Museum Houston’s Lester and Sue Smith Campus, 5401 Caroline Street.
“She may have stood only five foot one, but Justice Ginsburg was truly a giant in her work on equality and justice for all,” said HMH CEO Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga. “Like LBJ, RBG is a true American icon where few in history have stood taller in exemplifying what it means to be an upstander. By way of this award and the exhibition, her remarkable story can live on to inspire others.”
Dinner chairs for the evening were Mady and Ken Kades, who were joined by Sharon and Michael Brier, serving as Host Committee Chairs. Lynn Wyatt served as Honorary Chair for the event.
It was under the tutelage of the amazing Dinner Chairs, Mady and Ken that the format of the evening was redesigned to include video messages from Broadway, film and television stars, Billy Crystal, Chita Rivera, Jennifer Nettles and Aaron Sorkin among others. All of this was topped off by a magical live performance by Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth.
Kristin proved to be the perfect entertainer for this poignant evening. It all began when she opened with “I’m A Woman”, she had us from there and went on to a special call-out to her friend, producer and native-Houstonian, Steve Tyrell. This was a pleasant surprise for me, as my brother produced her two recent solo CD’s which teamed her with artists such as Ariana Grande and Dolly Parton. She continued on to cover a variety of well-selected songs such as “You Don’t Own Me,” “The Way We Were” before treating all to “Popular”, which she made famous from her role as the original Glinda in Broadway’s Wicked. In between sipping from her very familiar Buc-ee’s oversized drink cup (Kristin is a native of Oklahoma and has spent much time in Texas, so she loves to call out to her roots!) As Kristin went on to cover in such a meaningful way, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” and then one of my favorite artists of all times Karen Carpenter’s “Yesterday Once More” and “Happy Days Are Here Again” before bringing the crowd to a standing ovation when she announced she would donate her fee back to the Museum once she had paid her team. For the many people there that evening that left the event with tissue in hand and for many that did not make it but wish they had, Kristin Chenoweth’s meaningful performance has been all the buzz!
VIP’s in the audience were too many to mention but included, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris Count Judge Lina Hidalgo and many many more.
Many of our town’s notables were there such as
Honorary Vice Chairs Phoebe and Bobby Tudor
For so many of us this was a special night to remember that people in our town are still talking about, thanks to the hard work and commitment of Chairs, the Kades, HMH staff led by Kelly Zuniga and all of the many HMH supporters.