DILLARD — Theatergoers and music lovers in Northeast Georgia and the Carolinas looking for a fun night out later this month need look no further than Dillard. The North Georgia Community Players (NGCP) are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a music-filled gala on Saturday, April 26, full of music, food, drink, and fun. Attendees will enjoy a constant buzz of musical numbers from Broadway’s most beloved shows and a full menu of appetizers and treats, organizers say.
“After staging more than 60 shows in 25 years, we’ve been planning the gala for much of the last year,” says Mark Benson, NGCP president. “We found a way to both thank our existing patrons and to help us raise the money for even more exciting shows and special events for years to come.”
Benson says tapping into the theater group’s existing talent to entertain theatergoers “seemed our best approach.” He adds that they hope to “fill the hall with fun and laughter that Saturday night.”
Fifteen musical numbers from old “chestnuts” like Guys and Dolls, Man of La Mancha, and White Christmas are among the selections, but also from Sara Bareilles’ much more recent Tony-winning Waitress, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Notebook, the musical based on the romantic film.
The performers include actors and actresses North Georgia audiences have come to know and love in all the company’s recent productions: Rebecca Bilbrey, Matthew Johnson, Quashona Antoine, Sara Jones, Jenna Barry, Sam Warren, Dannyale Williams, and a dozen more.
Director Foy Tootle’s young acting students will perform scenes from Shakespeare’s comedies A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It.
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Menu and tickets
The menu, overseen by NGCP mainstay and master chef Rebecca Bilbrey, will include:
- A charcuterie table with raw vegetable crudité and antipasto
- Fancy Deviled Eggs
- Miniature Caprese Salad
- Miniature Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Shrimp and Grits
- Spinach Ravioli with Pesto
- And Italian Meatballs with Bowtie Pasta
A cash bar, with wine and beer, will also be on site.
Tickets, at $75 each, are available online at https://www.tickettailor.com/
You may also call 706-212-2500 to reserve tickets.
