Felicia Suttle, president of South African Tourism USA, worked with Noel Mignott, president of the Portfolio Marketing Group, to produce the event, which started with guests entering the theater on a red carpet with a perimeter of sod—inspired by the scenes of the South African bush. Inside, the crowd snacked during a prescreening reception catered by Indiana Market & Catering. Among the offerings: grilled skewered chicken served with Cape Town-style sauces (influenced by the city’s Indian, Malaysian, Dutch, African, Mediterranean, and English heritage), grilled beef served with corn and apricot chutney, and a punch made of cranberry juice, iced tea, .phpberries, lemons, and white grape juice and decorated with an ice block filled with edible flowers and mint.

At the party, models from Bodycast painted as animals posed to recreate scenes from the bush, and also circulated among guests toward the end of the evening. Authentic touches showcasing South Africa also came in the form of music—with a performance led by Tshidi Manye from The Lion King on Broadway, and emerging South African pop star Danny K. Four large fans were rented from production designer Michael Curry—who also worked on The Lion King—and decorated the food stations and bars; the fans showed silhouetted images of safari scenes.

—Mark Mavrigian

Photos: Piero Ribelli (fans, bus), James Edstrom (models)