Chicago’s Hottest Ticket: Musical Sensation Billy Corgan and World-Renowned Chef Curtis Duffy to Curate “A Night of Folly” for PAWS Chicago

Superstars in the World of Cuisine and Entertainment Unite for One Exclusive Evening to Benefit Homeless Pets in Chicago

Grammy award winning Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Grace restaurant's Michelin Star Awarded Chef Curtis Duffy will join forces to create an exclusive evening of thought-provoking cuisine and innovative entertainment to benefit PAWS Chicago, an animal welfare organization dedicated to saving homeless cats and dogs. Together, they will curate and host "A Night of Folly"; an event of their own design, for 12 lucky bidders at the upcoming 12th Annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball live auction, Friday, November 15th at the Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois.

“The dinner Billy and I will be auctioning will be a culinary experience like no other,” says Chef Curtis Duffy, “I want to have an extraordinary event for people who are supporting such an extraordinary organization."

Duffy and Corgan, both supporters of PAWS Chicago and its No Kill mission, say they were inspired by the extravagance and revelry of the Great Gatsby-era.

“Our goal is to create an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind evening that couldn't be repeated if you tried!”Corgan explains, “There will be music, theatre, music-theatre, and theatrical musings that challenge both the intellect and senses. A true night of folly brought right to you."

The evening will take place against the backdrop of a true masterpiece of architecture - a stunning, lakeside north shore home, and the perfect complement to the unique entertainment and progressive, imaginative cuisine planned for its special guests.

“I will create a totally new and completely original tasting menu tailored specifically for the event,” says Duffy. “The menu will focus on highlighting the purest ingredients at the height of their season.”

But only 12 lucky people will be invited to attend the exciting, original and exclusive “A Night of Folly” event. And those 12 invitations will be auctioned off personally by Corgan at the 12th Annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball live auction, Friday, November 15th at the Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois.

Proceeds from “A Night of Folly” will go directly to supporting the mission of PAWS Chicago, which is to bring an end to the killing of homeless cats and dogs.

"I've been an animal lover all my life,” says Duffy.  “I believe firmly in the work PAWS has been doing for the last 16 years.  I'm thrilled that Chicago is so close to being the first major metropolitan No Kill Community -- that's amazing!”

This year, PAWS Chicago will find homes for more than 6,000 pets from its cageless, state-of-the-art No Kill Adoption Center.

Want a seat at this exclusive table?

For more information about “A Night of Folly” or to make remote bidding arrangements, please contact Kaitlin Allen, Director of Development for PAWS Chicago, at 773-843-2500.

And tickets to the Fur Ball are still available for those that would like to attend and bid in person.  For information or to purchase tickets, contact Alicea Miller at 773-843-4887.

About the Fur Ball

The 12th Annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball is the city’s premier pet-friendly black tie event.  It will be held at 6 p.m., Friday, November 15 at legendary and ever-elegant Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois.  

This unique gala welcomes nearly 800 guests to bring their best-dressed pets to walk the red carpet and enjoy an evening for an enchanting evening to benefit homeless animals. 

Canine guests will dine on delicious gourmet dinner, enjoy the dance floor and commemorate the experience with illustrated or photographed portraits. 

The live auction this year will include a World Class evening with entertainment curated by Billy Corgan and fine dining by Chef Chris Duffy; a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII; luxurious vacations; and the opportunity of a lifetime portrait sitting with the legendary Victor Skrebneski. 

Presented by A. Marek Fine Jewelry, Chopper Trading and The Drake Hotel, the 12th Annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball will raise funds to support the organization’s efforts to build No Kill communities, starting with a No Kill Chicago. 

This year’s co-chairs are Stephanie & Jake Henry and Anne Marie & Murray Peretz, with Mayari Pritzker serving as the event’s honorary chair.

About PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago (Pets Are Worth Saving) is a national model in animal sheltering, committed to bringing an end to the killing of homeless cats and dogs.

Since the organization’s founding in 1997, the number of homeless pets killed in the city has been reduced by nearly 70 percent, from 42,561 to fewer than 14,000 last year. This year, PAWS Chicago will find homes for more than 6,000 pets from its cageless, state-of-the-art No Kill Adoption Center, and perform more than 18,000 free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries in disadvantaged communities through its Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic and GusMobile spay/neuter van.

Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator, ranks PAWS Chicago in the top 1% of charities in the nation and recognized PAWS Chicago as the highest-rated Animal Rights, Welfare and Services charity in the nation in 2012.

About Billy Corgan

As the vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter for the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan is one of the most compelling figures in rock. He has led the band to great success: the Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history having sold more than 30 million albums, and won multiple Grammy Awards in the process.

In June 2012, the band released the critically acclaimed album Oceania via Martha’s Music/EMI Label Services/Caroline Distribution. It entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at #4; earned the #1 spot on the Independent Albums Chart; and Rolling Stone hailed it as one of the best albums of the year.

In addition, as a writer, producer, player and singer, he’s contributed to recordings by the likes of Cheap Trick, Ric Ocasek, New Order and Hole, among others. In 2004, he published Blinking with Fists, a book of poetry that debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list.

In 2008, Fender unveiled the Billy Corgan Stratocaster guitar, an extraordinarily versatile tone-machine, produced to Corgan’s exacting specifications. The Billy Corgan Stratocaster is an especially modern take on the iconic Fender Strat® model, built especially for a high-gain sound and designed to create Corgan’s signature mid-’90s buzz saw tone.

Corgan is also the creative director for Resistance Pro—a Chicago-based wrestling company, and is the sole proprietor of Madame Zuzu’s, a Chinoise inspired teahouse located in Highland Park, IL.

He has been an active supporter of the PAWS Chicago mission ever since he adopted his two cats Thom and Sammi back in 2004 and has helped raise more than $140,000 for PAWS Chicago and its No Kill mission to help save homeless pets.

About Chef Duffy

Chef Curtis Duffy was born in Columbus, Ohio, and knew early on he had a passion for cooking. In addition to having the support of his parents, he was fortunate enough to have his passion recognized and encouraged by two of his teachers, both of whom remain close friends and mentors. To this day, he notes these teachers alongside such culinary luminaries as Michel Bras, Charlie Trotter, Grant Achatz, and Fernand Point as key influences in his career.

Duffy started his career in Chicago at the legendary Charlie Trotter’s and, after three years, accepted a position as Pastry Chef at the esteemed Trio, where he was recognized as "Best Innovative Pastry Chef" from Food & Wine (2003). Duffy met Chef Grant Achatz at Trio, and in 2004, they left and opened Alinea, where Duffy worked as Chef de Cuisine. Alinea skyrocketed to fame, being named the "Best Restaurant in America" by Gourmet just a year after opening, and is widely recognized as one of the best restaurants in the world.

In 2008, Duffy took his impressive skill set to Avenues (The Peninsula Chicago) and was instantly celebrated for his thoughtful, progressive, and imaginative cuisine by consumers and media alike.

In mid-2011, Duffy left Avenues to begin making plans for his own restaurant, expected to open mid-2012. At Grace, Duffy's culinary style is showcased, reflecting his personal taste and drawing upon his wealth of experience. His micro-seasonal cuisine is best described as "thoughtfully progressive" – thoughtful as he puts tremendous time, focus, research and thought into what he creates and progressive as he will utilize modern techniques to coax the best out of the ingredients. Each dish is an expression of his personality – progressive but grounded – and puts ingredients at the forefront. He will continue to source the highest-quality ingredients, allowing flavor to trump technique. Grace is located at 625 W. Randolph St., Chicago; 312-234-9494.  http://www.grace-restaurant.com/