“The other tie-in that we have is that the following day, April 23, is the date that both Shakespeare and [Spanish novelist Migel de] Cervantes died [in 1616],” said Bedinger. “Since Shakespeare’s and Cervante’s eras just about coincided, it gave us the opportunity to do something different.” Last year's gala paid tribute to the in-house production of Macbeth with an evening that the program called a "magical dinner of potions and delights."