13 Festive Trees, a $3 Million Scrooge and Theatre Magic Make the Alley a Houston Holiday Wonderland

A Merry Band In an Enchanted Forest

By Shelby Hodge // Dec 21, 2022

Photography Thomas Campbell

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Deck The Trees co-chairs Charlene Brandau and Sandy Shipley. Photo by Thomas Campbell. The crowd awaits the start of the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees annual fundraiser. The focal point tree is from Macy's.

The Alley Theatre's Deck The Trees co-chairs Charlene Brandau and Sandy Shipley. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Debra & Mike Dishberger with Taylor DeMartino with one of two trees designed by DeMartino Design for the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees fundraiser. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Alley Theatre managing director Dean Gladden, Alley board president Ken Kades and wife Mady Kades at the Deck the Trees event. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Kelsey Pittman, Gayle Steward with a tree designed by Village Greenery and Flowers at the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees fundraiser. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Tree designer Thanh Le, of the Vietnamese Science and Culture Association, with her family at the Deck The Trees reception (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Quincy & Jacqueline McDonald, Kynia & Anthony Hill at the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees fundraiser. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Brian Hall, Taylor DeMartino, Christine Kwan, Kaye Rasch, Cyndi Hunter at the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees fundraiserl (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Friends of the Alley Theatre El Zocalo Committee at the Alley Theatre's Deck the Trees fundraiser. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Deck the Trees co-chair Sandy Shipley and her husband George Shipley with the tree designed by Blooming Gallery. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

Deck the Trees co-chair Charlene Brandau with the tree designed by ACD Design's Vivian Delgado. (Photo by Thomas Campbell)

What: The Alley Theatre tree lighting ceremony in conjunction with Deck the Trees

Where: The main lobby of the Alley Theatre

PC Moment: A bevy of oohs and aahs and applause erupted when Deck the Trees co-chairs Charlene Brandau and Sandy Shipley flipped the giant-sized switch that lighted all 13 of the festive trees at once, making for a veritable enchanted forest of the theater lobby. That alone could have been enough to convert the grumpy Scrooge, who has been transforming into Mr. Nice Guy nightly on the Hubbard Theatre stage. In a fun note to the proceedings, Alley managing director Dean Gladden led the audience of 200 guests in the countdown that led up to the flip of the switch.

The 16th annual Deck the Trees evening raised $174,000 for the theater’s artistic, education and community engagement initiatives.

Board president Ken Kades welcomed the merry band and invited all to enjoy and join the sumptuous buffet and hot chocolate bar with holiday cookies which were provided by the Four Seasons Hotel.

Highlight for many of the special guests was the 20-foot-tall Christmas tree titled “Give Love, Give Style,” which was provided by Macy’s. Also on everyone’s favorites list was the “Hard Candy Christmas” tree created by Taylor DeMartino of DeMartino Design Group.

Following those festivities, the gathering moved on to the Hubbard Theater for the $3 million production of the world premiere of “A Christmas Carol” that features new sets, new costumes, new music and lots of magic.

PC Seen: Mady Kades, Yvette and Michael Mayo, Eloise and Stephen Brice, Mary Luu and August Martinez, Valeri Jalufka, Carroll Robertson, Mark Grommesh, Ruthis Siska, Blanca Beltran, Angela and Craig Jarchow, Rose and Robby Nelson, Blanca Beltran, Maria Lira, Dr. Sergio Lira, Sherry and Walter Boudreaux, Ofelia Espinosa, and Alley artistic director Rob Melrose.