“The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.”
—Hamilton
Are you ready? We are just four weeks out from the 2017 Academy Gala and the excitement and anticipation is almost too much to bear!
On Saturday, September 16th, 2017, the Academy Center of the Arts, the Gala committee, and the ticket holders for this annual fundraiser will experience a “production” unlike any other as we time travel back to the glamorous 1930s and the vintage nightclub culture known as Café Society.
At this year’s Gala, the star of this show is indeed “the show.” Straight from Birdland in Manhattan’s theatre district, our host Jim Caruso brings his world famous Cast Party, joined by acclaimed pianist Billy Stritch – straight from Tony Bennett’s world tour!
Also stepping up to take their turns at the mic are hometown heroes you’ll not want to miss. So many of our community members – Hope Harris, Spence White, Paul Fitzgerald and others – are “coming from away” to join local favorites Tony Camm, Taylor Rodriguez, Mary Dalton, and Whitney O’Brian in raising their voices for the Academy.
In addition to the talent, the Gala will also host a pre-show supper and open bar, as well as a live and silent auction with over 45 items! Performances will be interspersed with carefully curated auction items promoting engagement with arts and culture: theatre packages, art, dining and travel accompanied with gallery tours or literary discussions, even a bench made from trusses reclaimed from the 1905 historic Academy of Music Theatre.
Did we mention that the entire silent auction has been provided by Moore & Giles? The Boom Boom Room, by Moore & Giles, will be filled with dozens of special, one-of-a-kind items available to guests for just one, magical night. Check out a selection of these items here.
“Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!”
—Hamilton
Unfortunately for ticket seekers (and fortunately for us), the Gala is sold out! But, for those still looking to give to the Academy, consider donating through our Development office or by using this link.
All of the proceeds from the night benefit the Academy Center of the Arts and our programming and outreach initiatives. With these funds, we seek to help make a meaningful impact on our ability to serve our community through arts and culture.
For reference, on that one night, the Gala must raise 13% of ACOA’s donations for the year; the evening accounts for 6% of the organization’s total revenue.
The Academy Center of the Arts’ board and staff are most grateful to Harman Eye Center, the Gala’s lead sponsor.
Harman Eye Center was founded in 1988 with a focus on providing the highest quality eye care and superior service to its patients. Harman Eye Center now has ten locations and their own surgery center which is the only free standing ambulatory surgery center in this area dedicated specifically to eye surgery. Harman Eye is proud to be an integral part of the Central and Southside Virginia communities with offices in Amherst, Appomattox, Collinsville, Danville, Forest, Lovingston, Lynchburg, Martinsville, South Boston and Wyndhurst. It’s a visual world. Make the most of it.
