Mill City Productions Uncorks Cabaret FundraiserBy Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
11:44PM / Thursday, February 27, 2014 | |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mill City Productions will hold its annual Cabaret Uncorked fundraiser on Saturday, March 1, at 7 p.m. at Western Gateway Heritage State Park.
Liz Urban, artistic director for the theater company, said the event will feature a wine tasting, a silent auction, a live cabaret, and a dance party that all will benefit the 2014 program.
"I know it has been a long cold winter, and I think people are ready to get out of the house and do something different that supports a great cause," Urban said.
The wine tasting will feature 25 different wines provided by Mark Draper from Draper’s Wine and Spirits.
"We partner with Mr. Draper," Urban said. "He supports the arts and supports us, and he knows wine distributors and brings in a good selection for people to try."
After the wine tasting, the company members will perform a live cabaret for patrons at 8 p.m. There will be group songs as well as duets.
Urban added that Mill City performs a cabaret every summer and much of the music performed Saturday night will be drawn from prior shows.
"We have an original cabaret every summer," she said. "The director picks a theme, and group members pick songs that go with the theme."
Last summer, the director chose "All Over the Map," which included travel-themed music.
After the cabaret, visitors can participate in a dance party donated by Jarrid and Diane Burdick of Berkshire Bride.
"By the end of the winter everyone could use a big dance party," Urban said.
The money made from the fundraiser helps support the local theater group and the many productions it puts on throughout the year.
"It's our biggest fundraiser of the year and people seem to enjoy it," Urban said. "Money is needed for the set and costumes as well as the royalties needed to perform the plays."
Mill City will perform three shows this year, including the plays "The Good Doctor" and "Crimes of the Heart" and a cabaret in the summer.
Money from the silent auction goes to the Mike Grogan Memorial Fund. Grogan, a Drury High School graduate who studied theater, was a co-founder of the company and frequent director. He died in 2011 at age 30.
"We have a fund in his name that goes to educational outreach and capital improvements on the theater," Urban said.
Urban added local businesses and establishments donated all items in the silent auction. The prizes include tickets to the Williamstown Theatre Festival, tickets to performances by Barrington Stage Company, and gift cards from local restaurants.
The event is only for those age 21 and older; tickets at $20 are available at the door, at millcityproductions.org, and at Draper's Wine and Spirits. The event will be held at Heritage State Park's Building 4N and will run until 11 p.m.
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