2008 Woodie Awards
Guitars, gladiators to raise cash for theater
By: David Wangberg
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Entertainment
What: 15th Annual Fall Ball Fundraiser
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Blue Room Theatre
Put on some Roman attire, freshen up those dancing skills and get ready to chow down some delicious food and drink amazing wine. Blue Room Theatre will host the 15th annual Fall Ball Fundraiser on Saturday at Park Tower Pavilion.
The Fall Ball is a themed fundraiser for the theater that is so popular and different from what the theater normally hosts that ARC of Butte County was generous enough to loan the pavilion for the evening, said board member Mary Ann Latimer.
The event has sold out in the past and it looks as though this year's will as well, she said.
"The Fall Ball is our largest fundraising event and we sell out every year due to the high quality of food, the camaraderie of the participants and the cause of the theater," Latimer said in an e-mail.
The doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased online or at the Blue Room Theatre box office.
Each year provides a different theme that allows people to dress up for fun and enjoy an evening dedicated to helping the theater, said Melissa Brown, chairwoman of the event. Last year's theme was the Kentucky Derby and this year's is Roman.
"The theme for this event reflects on the political and artistic ideas of the cooks and the theater's board of directors," she said.
The fundraiser is another way for the theater to reach its goal of having a full-time staff, Brown said.
"With the help from the community and fundraisers like this, we are getting closer to making that happen," she said.
The chefs will be serving up delicious Roman food and there will be live music from opera singer and junior Luciano Marazzo, as well as Electric Circus, a Chico funk-rock jam band.
While Electric Circus may not seem like a band one would see at a Roman-themed event, guitarist and singer Saul Henson said the band has always supported the theater and is ready to do it again.
"Over the years, in various forms, members of Electric Circus have performed for the Fall Ball," he said. "We are excited to perform for it again."
The band's performances are more like community performances, Henson said. Combined with Blue Room Theatre's creative aspects, it makes Chico a great city.
"Community art and live performance is intrinsically connected and part of what makes living in a small town so unique," he said.
The night will also include a silent and a live auction, as well as a raffle. Raffle tickets are $1. Attendees can expect to win an assortment of prizes, such as a dinner cooked by the chefs and original art from various artists.
Bands and artists who have supported the theater have been a major help in donating prizes for the auctions and raffle for the event, Latimer said.
"These local artists and musicians love the Blue Room and will help out with anything," she said.
The event is a way for people to enjoy a Saturday night and for the theater to thank the community for its support, said theater founder Denver Latimer.
"It offers an excuse to dress up, enjoy delicious food and be a part of something that is essential as a community," he said. "Their support is what helps keep us as Chico's longest-running community theater."
David Wangberg can be reached at
dwangberg@theorion.com
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Blue Room Theatre
Put on some Roman attire, freshen up those dancing skills and get ready to chow down some delicious food and drink amazing wine. Blue Room Theatre will host the 15th annual Fall Ball Fundraiser on Saturday at Park Tower Pavilion.
The Fall Ball is a themed fundraiser for the theater that is so popular and different from what the theater normally hosts that ARC of Butte County was generous enough to loan the pavilion for the evening, said board member Mary Ann Latimer.
The event has sold out in the past and it looks as though this year's will as well, she said.
"The Fall Ball is our largest fundraising event and we sell out every year due to the high quality of food, the camaraderie of the participants and the cause of the theater," Latimer said in an e-mail.
The doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased online or at the Blue Room Theatre box office.
Each year provides a different theme that allows people to dress up for fun and enjoy an evening dedicated to helping the theater, said Melissa Brown, chairwoman of the event. Last year's theme was the Kentucky Derby and this year's is Roman.
"The theme for this event reflects on the political and artistic ideas of the cooks and the theater's board of directors," she said.
The fundraiser is another way for the theater to reach its goal of having a full-time staff, Brown said.
"With the help from the community and fundraisers like this, we are getting closer to making that happen," she said.
The chefs will be serving up delicious Roman food and there will be live music from opera singer and junior Luciano Marazzo, as well as Electric Circus, a Chico funk-rock jam band.
While Electric Circus may not seem like a band one would see at a Roman-themed event, guitarist and singer Saul Henson said the band has always supported the theater and is ready to do it again.
"Over the years, in various forms, members of Electric Circus have performed for the Fall Ball," he said. "We are excited to perform for it again."
The band's performances are more like community performances, Henson said. Combined with Blue Room Theatre's creative aspects, it makes Chico a great city.
"Community art and live performance is intrinsically connected and part of what makes living in a small town so unique," he said.
The night will also include a silent and a live auction, as well as a raffle. Raffle tickets are $1. Attendees can expect to win an assortment of prizes, such as a dinner cooked by the chefs and original art from various artists.
Bands and artists who have supported the theater have been a major help in donating prizes for the auctions and raffle for the event, Latimer said.
"These local artists and musicians love the Blue Room and will help out with anything," she said.
The event is a way for people to enjoy a Saturday night and for the theater to thank the community for its support, said theater founder Denver Latimer.
"It offers an excuse to dress up, enjoy delicious food and be a part of something that is essential as a community," he said. "Their support is what helps keep us as Chico's longest-running community theater."
David Wangberg can be reached at
dwangberg@theorion.com
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