Guests at the 11th Annual Light Up CenterStage gala at on Saturday, December 5, at 7 p.m. will spend an indulgent “Enchanted Evening” in a secret, magical forest.
“You won’t recognize the place,” said CenterStage Artistic Director John Leffert. “Every wall will be draped. The centerpieces will be lanterns with moss and wood, and there will be lanterns hanging from the ceiling.”
Trees standing throughout the venue and actors posing as statues will add even more enchantment.
The glam, grand event that raises money for CenterStage, the oldest community theatre company in Kentucky, will feature the same sensational mix of ingredients loyal Light Up attendees have come to expect: enough delectable hors d’oeuvres to qualify as dinner, an open bar, a full Broadway revue performed by the stars of CenterStage, live and silent auctions and a staggering selection of decadent desserts.
One of the most exciting elements of the night will be the announcement of the shows comprising CenterStage’s 2016-2017 season.
There is one major, modernizing change in this year’s Light Up that will give guests set on snapping up silent auction items more freedom to absorb the ethereal atmosphere, socialize and nosh. Instead of stalking their coveted auction items and repeatedly writing bids on paper, gala-goers will be using ClickBid, mobile software that allows guests to bid via smartphone, iPad or tablet, from anywhere in the venue.
“Any time you’ve been outbid, you get a text,” and are shown the current high bid, said event chair Sarah Harlan. “You could be standing in the hallway and be furiously trying to outbid people.”
If digital bidding seems daunting, don’t fret. Harlan said ClickBid and JCC staff will be on hand to guide guests through the process, and an assortment of iPads and iPhones will be available for folks who don’t have their own digital devices.
“What makes ClickBid really great for bidding is that you really do increase your profit at the event,” Harlan said.
If ClickBid is a success at Light Up, it will translate into more money for Acting Out, the CenterStage program that is the main beneficiary of the evening. Acting Out brings full professional theatre productions and corresponding educational exercises to area schools. The latest Acting Out show is And Then They Came For Me: Remembering The World of Anne Frank, a moving and revelatory piece that tells Frank’s story through the eyes of those who knew her.
Bidders who log on to ClickBid prior to the event will be able to see auction items, read descriptions, and plan their strategy ahead of time.
JCC Development and Special Events Director Lenae Price said attendees will get directions for joining the Light Up auction on ClickBid when they purchase tickets. Item pictures and descriptions will be accessible a week or two before the event.
As always, there will be plenty of fantastic products, services and experiences up for grabs.
“We’ve got some great auction items in already,” Harlan said. “We’ve got gift cards to Brasserie Provence, a terrific, relatively new French restaurant in town; UK basketball tickets; theater tickets; great jewelry; artwork; handmade challah; wonderful handcrafted wooden table ware…”
Admission is $750 for a table of 10, and $90 for individual tickets until October 30. After October 30, table prices are $900, and single tickets are $108.
To purchase tickets, visit www.jewishlouisville.org/lightup or call Joanna Blieden at 502-238-2763.