Fifth Annual Florida Atlantic CAST Party: ‘The Great American Songbook: The Next Generation’ Applauded Culture and the Arts; Advanced Student Scholarship Funds

Boca Raton, FL – Celebrating the cultivation of arts and letters at Florida Atlantic University and in the community, the lively memorable music of “The Great American Songbook” filled the ballroom at the fifth annual Culture, Arts and Society Today (CAST) Party to benefit the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.  Held at Delaire Country Club and emceed by Legends Radio’s “Manfredi & May Mornings” co-host Toni May, the annual “friend-, fan- and fund- raiser” for student scholarships was a night of cocktails, fine food, and American Songbook-themed décor. Entertainment with nostalgic nods from the 1920s to 1960s was performed by the Florida Atlantic Jazz Band, with visual fine arts pop-ups, and dancing to live pop music from Florida Atlantic’s own Commercial Music Band.

FAU College of Arts and Letters CAST Party Co-Chairs and Committee

The evening showcased student and teaching talents as a warm tribute to the late Bob Lappin, the legendary founder, music director and maestro of The Palm Beach Pops, and honored his son, Jon Lappin, president and executive director of the Legacy Foundation of Palm Beach County/The Palm Beach Pops, for his contributions to the college and the music industry. He recently established the Bob Lappin and The Palm Beach Pops Music Legacy Endowment for the College of Arts and Letters music program, which includes assets, and an extensive music library comprised of more than 1,600 titles and scores. A significant amount was arranged by the industry’s most prestigious arrangers and were from some of the Great American Songbook’s greatest composers.  The endowment funds scholarships, graduate fellowships and other student financial aid to recruit and retain top music students for the Department of Music’s successful degree programs in commercial music, music education,
music performance and conducting. The programs have produced Grammy-winning artists and producers, industry-leading music executives, world-class music educators, and top-tier scholars.

Also honored was the Broward-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global HIV/AIDS organization and a longtime advocate for affordable housing, for its strategic partnership with the college’s School of Architecture. The two collaborate and deliver new transformational models for the adaptive reuse of old buildings as a key solution for America’s housing affordability crisis and sustainable living. The college’s partnership with AHF and Glavovic Studio is the first-of-its-kind bringing together a leading academic institution, a global nonprofit organization, and a for-profit architecture studio to advance innovative solutions to the affordable housing problem in Florida and across the United States. The three partners work with Florida Atlantic students to identify adaptive reuse opportunities and amplify the voices of the next generation in solving generational problems.

“As the dean of our college, of your hometown public university, I firmly believe that higher education programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences are the cornerstone of a vibrant and compassionate society,” said Michael Horswell, dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “These disciplines not only foster creativity and critical thinking, but also equip students with the skills to navigate complex global challenges and contribute meaningfully to their communities. By supporting these programs and our students, we empower the next generation of leaders, artists and thinkers to shape a brighter future for all.”

He underscored that scholarship funds raised during that evening increase opportunities for the College’s students in various disciplines during a very exciting year for the College. “Among our exciting programs, the  School of Architecture continues to grow, and its faculty have won more national awards than any other school in the region. Also, the new musical
theatre program has attracted a record number of student applicants. And in response to evolving trends, we’re developing new degrees, including one focused on Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, and Society.”

Chairpersons for the CAST Party evening were Dean’s Advisory Board members Maurice D. Plough, Jr. and Beth K. Schwartz. CAST host committee members included Melanie Cabot, chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board; Alisa Cohen; Linda Cohn; Nancy Dershaw; Silvana Halperin; Bonnie and Jon Kaye; Frank LoRé; Sandra Meyer; Marcia Mithun and Dr. Deborah Mulligan.

Along with Cabot, sponsors included Marilyn and Jay Weinberg; Marta and James Batmasian; The Barry and Silvana Halperin Foundation; Beth K. Schwartz; Sharon DiPietro; Arthur Gutterman; Mark Traverso and Conor Walton; the Mithun Family Foundation (Marcia and Doug Mithun); Margie and Maurice D. Plough, Jr.; Fidelity Investments; Jon and Bonnie Kaye/Kaye Communications PR & Marketing; Myrna Gordon Skurnick; Gale Wechsler and
The Wechsler Foundation; Alisa and Dr. Richard Cohen;  Allegiance Home Health (Joe Martin and Rosie Inguanzo-Martin); Sue Ojeda and Randy Colman; Bonnie Halperin and Family; Ted Hoskinson and Aidalyn Magsayo; Deborah L. Kull; April Lewis; Sandra and Bernie Meyer; Sally and Dick O’Loughlin; Linda and Jay Rosenkranz; Evelyn and Howard Tai; The Boca Raton; Marilyn Wallach; Judith and Dr. Howard Weiner and Mark Swillinger. The Boca Raton Observer was the exclusive magazine sponsor and Legends Radio 100.3 WLML-FM the exclusive broadcast sponsor.

All proceeds from the event benefited student scholarships for the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The college houses 21 academic programs including the School of the Arts, along with humanities degrees, social science degrees, and the areas of communication, public administration and architecture. The college also houses the Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights; the Center for the Future Mind; Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies; Global Studies; Jewish Studies; among others.

To support the FAU Schmidt College of Arts and Letters with scholarship funds, endowments, program and building naming opportunities and volunteer engagement, please contact Laurie Carney at [email protected] or 561-297-3606.  For more information about the college, visit www.fau.edu/artsandletters.

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

Frank Lore, Beth Schwartz, Melanie Cabot, Marcia Mithun, Alisa Cohen, Bonnie Kaye, Maurice Plough, Jr. Dr. Howard Weiner, Judith Weiner, Marilyn Weinberg, Maurice Plough, Jr., Judy Donoff, Dean Michael Horswell Helene Solomon, Arthur Gutterman, Marilyn Wallach, Linda Aaronberg Marta and Jim Batmasian CAST Party Emcee Toni May, Honoree Jon Lappin Honoree AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Joseph Choma, Russell Walker, Vanessa Ferguson, Nataciha Alcindor Louis Tyrrel, Myrna Gordon Skurnick, Francesca Daniels Elizabeth Shulman, Barry Halperin, Claudia Drooker FAU’s Owlsley, Marcia and Doug Mithun Randy Colman, Sue Ojeda, Jon Kaye, Bonnie Kaye, Alisa Cohen, Dr. Richard Cohen Sharon DiPietro, Scott Joseph, Linda Petrakis Alan Kaye, Margie Kaye, Rosie Inguanzo Martin, Joe Martin, Michael Pierce Laurie Carney, Honoree Jon Lappin, Kevin Wilt Teri Wolofsky, Michelle Yellin, Judith Swift Nancy Dershaw, Margo Green Linda and Ralph Behmoiras Beth Schwartz, Dean Micheal Horswell, Arlene Herson Deborah Floyd, Rhonda Liesenfelt

Photo: Jeffrey Tholl