Spend Valentine's Day - at The DoubleTree Hotel
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VALLEY STORIES is like no other fund-raiser in the Great Lakes Bay Region.
The celebration of the arts includes theater, fine dining, dancing to The Bijou and an auction of romantic gifts. Saturday, February 14, 2009 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bay City.
"We wanted something special for this year's auction, and we think we may have just the gift for a loved one or even for oneself," said Robyn Scott, co-chair of Valley Stories and proprietor of Hoopla! in downtown Bay City.
One of the features of VALLEY STORIES is a silent auction of 'romantic gifts.' There is an emphasis on meals, hotel stays and personal services in this group of gifts. There is also a raffle for two nights at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The limited live auction, however, is what sets this event apart. There are just two items.
The first is the chance to engage the orchestra for a one hour private event. "This can be any kind of event," says Leo Najar, artistic director of The Bijou. "The auction begins with a minimum of $250 for one player. Every time we reach another $250, we add another player to the pot up to thirteen. We can even play for a wedding, if you like."
Maybe you've always had a fantasy about playing with a first class professional orchestra, but never had the training. Perhaps you don?t even know how to play an instrument. Not a problem.
The other auction prize is for the opportunity to perform as a member of The Bijou percussion section on the 1812 Overture. Not a percussionist? Not a problem. John Hill, Bijou percussionist assures us that 'anybody can do it with ten minutes of practice.'
The focus of VALLEY STORIES is on romance, and every year, original plays are written and performed that tell a romantic tale from the lives of three couples that have been selected to be honored for their contributions to the quality of life in the tri-county area.
This year's honorees include:
The plays about them were written by Leo Najar and Mary Lou Benecke and will be performed by theater students from Saginaw Valley State University.
The evening concludes with two hours of dancing to The Bijou Orchestra.
Tickets for the event are $75 per person and include a dinner choice of roast tenderloin of beef in cognac demi-glacé with petite lobster thermidor en bouchée or roast tenderloin of beef in cognac demi-glacé with white cheddar stuffed chicken.
The ticket price also includes complementary wine and beer from the cocktail hour at 6pm through dinner. Each ticket includes a contribution of $10 to the orchestra. Patron tickets which include name recognition in the printed program are $125 of which $60 is tax-deductible. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Call (989) 892-4200 for information and reservation.
The Bijou Orchestra takes its name from the Bijou Theater, one of the earliest Bay City theaters, which later became known as the Bay and eventually the State. The ensemble is composed of thirteen outstanding musicians drawn from Michigan and beyond to perform in this challenging medium in which every player is a soloist.
The orchestra is supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. Major corporate sponsors include, Dow Corning, Bay Regional Medical Center, OmniSource and Thelen Auto Group.
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Julie McCallum, Entertainment Editor |
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