Press release:
It’s that time of year! The Flat Rock Playhouse will present its annual Dark Night Revue fundraiser, but! On Monday, August 14, the Supporting Players Guild of Flat Rock Playhouse will present Dark Night Revue: Around the Stage in 80 Years!
Vagabonds of past, present and future unite on August 14th at 6:00PM to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Robroy Farquhar Vagabond Players! This year’s annual fundraiser is hosted in gratitude of 8 decades of Vagabond productions and with the hopes for 8 more! The evening will feature cocktails, one-of- a-kind silent and live auction items, dinner and a one-night-only performance featuring the 2017 Apprentice Company, the cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the recent hit production of The Little Mermaid, Flat Rock Playhouse staff and your favorite stars from the Flat Rock Playhouse stage.
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina.
What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, educational performing opportunities, camps, and a robust year-round family programming schedule. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina. So, come celebrate our founding Vagabonds and all Vagabonds that have come to be at our annual fundraiser, Dark Night Revue: Around the Stage in 80 Years!
Dark Night Revue: Around the Stage in 80 Years begins at 6:00PM with cocktails and dinner 6:30PM – 8:00PM along with silent and live auctions. The Dark Night Revue Performance will begin at 8:15PM.
Catering is provided by Brandy’s on Main, Dragonfly Café, Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, Ingles The Chef’s Kitchen, Season’s at Highland Lake and Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Dark Night Revue: Around the Stage in 80 Years will be presented on Monday, August 14th on the Flat Rock Playhouse Grounds. Ticket prices range from $50 – $125 and are as follows:
$125 – Reserved dinner seating and VIP show seating (limited availability)
$100 – Open dinner seating and reserved show seating
$50 – Young Professionals (under 40)
Suggested Attire: Dress for the heat, but look chic!
To reserve your spot for this truly unforgettable event, call the Flat Rock Playhouse Box Office at 828.693.0731. Please be prepared with guests’ names and phone numbers. All proceeds benefit Flat Rock Playhouse, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. 60% of the ticket price is tax deductible.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.