Canteen Catering Helps Premium Season Ticket Holders Celebrate the 2023-24 Season
Premium Season Ticket Holders enjoyed a special reception to kick off the Kimberly-Clark Broadway Across America – Fox Cities Series 2023-24 Season in the well-decorated Kimberly-Clark Theater each night one hour prior to performances of Pretty Woman: The Musical October 24-29. This reception is to recognize and show appreciation for their loyalty to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center; thank you, Premium Season Ticket Holders, for helping support the Center’s mission and helping bring touring world-class talent to the Fox Cities! More than 3,500 guests mingled and engaged in conversations over delicious show-themed foods and drinks. Thanks to Canteen Catering, one of the Center’s Annual Business Partners and preferred caterer’s, the complimentary spread of hors d’oeuvres and beverages satisfied attendees and perfectly matched the theme of the room.
Premium Season Ticket Holders were delighted by the décor highlighting the upcoming shows in the 2023-24 Season. Walking in, the magic of a SPECTACULAR 2023-24 Season was felt. From a variety of clothes hanging on racks for Pretty Woman: The Musical to lights in the shape of a windmill inspired by Moulin Rouge! The Musical, objects from the classic Hasbro board game, Clue for the show of the same name, to the impressively large mechanical sandworm reminiscent of Beetlejuice: The Musical hanging from the ceiling, everything perfectly captured the energy and excitement of the season. The theme and décor even carried over into the food displays.
Emma and her mother have been Premium Season Ticket Holders for four years and were happy they came to the Premium Season Ticket Holder Reception. For the 2023-24 Season, they are most looking forward to attending Les Misérables during its run February 20-25, 2024. The show has a special significance for Emma and her mom as it was a school production the family was involved with, and they are excited to share the experience with friends and family. During the reception, both women enjoyed the variety of catered food, including a delectable triple chocolate cake.
Canteen Catering has a long history with the Center, catering Premium Season Ticket Holder Receptions since 2013. Canteen Catering’s Regional Catering Director, Sue Zdanovec, who has been with the company for 27 years, has enjoyed the challenge of making each reception unique. “Each year is special because it was a chance to theme and create a menu and décor we have never done before,” Sue shared. “For Kinky Boots, our décor had a lot of red glitter; we were finding bits of red glitter in our vehicles for months after the event. During Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the room was magical. There were many children that attended; the look on their faces when they entered the room was priceless.”
Pretty Woman: The Musical inspired freshness found in the marinated vegetable salad and the California chicken salad sliders because of its connection with Hollywood. The iconic shopping spree scene in the film and the Broadway show led to Canteen Catering decorating the food tables with shopping bags and polka dots connecting to Vivian’s brown polka dot dress. Since Moulin Rouge! The Musical is based in Paris, Canteen Catering developed a special ratatouille with fall vegetables. Beetlejuice: The Musical influenced the use of the blowtorch special potato chips with a roasted red pepper dip.
Sue appreciates the work of the Canteen Catering team to make these events possible: Holly, Sean, Lindsay, Wendy, Tom, Dawn, Doug B., Doug D., Kevin, Ben, Bob and Scott. “Everyone plays such an important role – from creating recipes to putting together sandwiches, doing all of the dishes to keeping the vehicles fueled…” Sue commented.
The 2023-24 Premium Season Ticket Holder Reception looked different to other seasons as this time it focused on the whole season rather than a singular show. This meant more research for the Canteen Catering team to make the food cohesive for many shows. “Once we have our proposal put together, we have a tasting with a group from the Fox Cities P.A.C.,” Sue shared. “They offer us valuable opinions and give us a chance to have them try the new recipes. We also work with the Center to make sure the décor is cohesive with what they are planning.”
Written by Philomena Dorobek, Brand Storyteller
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center