Ballou to Broadway a Hit: Alumni in entertainment industry recognized

Meredith Vieira, J75, new co-host of NBC's Today show (center) poses with Tufts graduates receiving the P. T. Barnum Award for Excellence in Entertainment (l-r): Rob Burnett, A84, executive producer of the Late Show with David Letterman; actor Dan Hedaya, A62; Donald Byrd, artistic director of the Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle; and Mary Louise Geiger, J79, lighting designer and associate professor of design at New York University's Tisch School.

June 7, 2006--More than 140 Tufts alumni and friends turned out on May 8 for “From Ballou to Broadway,” a celebration honoring alumni with outstanding careers in the entertainment industry.

Tufts graduates receiving the P. T. Barnum Award for Excellence in Entertainment were Rob Burnett, A84, executive producer of the Late Show with David Letterman; Donald Byrd, artistic director of the Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle; Mary Louise Geiger, J79, lighting designer and associate professor of design at New York University’s Tisch School; and actor Dan Hedaya, A62.  

“The night was an unqualified success,” said Drew Cohen, A90, a member of the New York Tufts Alliance organizing committee. “I am sure that we will need a bigger venue next year.”

 “Tufts graduates so many people who go on to do wonderful work in the media, entertainment, and theater fields,” said Barbara Grossman, G84, professor in the Department of Drama and Dance, which hosted a reception prior to the main event.  “This is one way of shining light on their accomplishments.”

Held at Feinstein’s at the Regency in New York, “Ballou to Broadway” was introduced by Meredith Vieira, J75, former host of The View and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and new co-host of NBC’s Today show.

“Though each of the four has done something very different, they have each been recognized by their peers, and by their fans, as among the most accomplished in what they do,” she said.

A short film about each honoree preceded Vieira’s presentation of an engraved elephant trophy to each recipient.

But before the evening was over, Julie Dobrow, director of Communications and Media Studies at Tufts, also awarded one more Jumbo—to Vieira. “Meredith, we know that you have a whole case full of Emmys and other awards, but probably none with tusks!”
 
The P. T. Barnum Awards are the brainchild of the Los Angeles Tufts Alliance’s “Hill to Hollywood” network.

“We wanted to raise the profile of Tufts alumni in the entertainment industry, support the creative and professional development of alumni in this field, and provide opportunities for social and career networking,” said Andrea Gall Schmitt, J90, president of the Los Angeles Tufts Alliance, a chapter of the Tufts University Alumni Association. 

Last spring actor Peter Gallagher, A77; Cary Granat, A90, WaldenMedia CEO; Courtenay Valenti, J85, Warner Bros. vice president; and Jon Levin, A75, Creative Artists principal, were honored at “Hill to Hollywood.” This past November, Amisha Patel, J97, a rising Bollywood star, received a special P. T. Barnum Award in India.

“Ballou to Broadway” was organized by the New York Tufts Alliance, a chapter of the Tufts University Alumni Association, the Communications and Media Studies Program, and the Department of Drama and Dance. Sponsors include the Loews Regency Hotel and MassEnvelopePlus.