Publications & Sites 
British invade Chicago on behalf of WTTW
Nancy and Steve Crown with Gordon Segal, all of Winnetka. | Lee Litas~For Sun-Times Media
WTTW-Channel 11
/WFMT-FM (98.7)
ADDRESS: 5400 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago;
PHONE (773) 509-5431
WEB: wttw.com and
wfmt.com
Article Extras
Updated: July 1, 2012 11:36AM
The Event: Lest you think the British invasion is long since over, public broadcasting’s Window to the World will have you know otherwise. On May 9 more than 1,000 Anglophiles converged on the Harris Theater in Chicago to celebrate the British Are Coming benefit in honor of the rich legacy of English writers, comedians, actors, composers and musicians who “have been and continue to be an essential part of the WTTW-11 and 98.7 WFMT cultural experience.”
Led by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, the standing ovation-garnering jubilee included performances by the Chicago Children’s Choir, the Joffrey Ballet, the Fulcrum Point New Music Project, aerial acrobat Danielle Ricciardi and the Beatles-inspired four-man group Under the Streetlamp. Additionally, luminary of the London stage Simon Callow and lead singer Ray Davies of the legendary Kinks brought down the house belting out crowd faves like “Lola” and “All Day and All of the Night.”
Cause Célèbre: “What’s great about WTTW is that Chicago gets a chance to see the very best in arts and culture through wonderful programs from all over the world,” said Michelle T. Boone, commissioner of cultural affairs and special events for the city of Chicago who attended on behalf of the mayor.
New Trier West graduate Mayor Rahm Emanuel noted that the evening was “A special opportunity to recognize the substantial and invaluable contributions that WTTW and 98.7 have made to the field of journalism in producing high-quality, informative news coverage and entertainment to our community.”
The evening was sponsored in part by BMO Harris Bank, whose Vice Chairman Peter McNitt said, “Supporting the community is fundamental to everything we do. It’s a big part of our organization and big part of our DNA.”
Bottom Line: The event brought in nearly $1 million dollars in support of the quality programming on WTTW and WFMT.
