BWW Recap: The Gateway's 5th Annual 'Disco Ball' Gala

Over the weekend, I had pleasure of attending the fabulous annual gala event hosted by the Gateway Playhouse located in Bellport, Long Island. In essence, this is a fundraising event, now in its 5th year, to benefit the theatre. Everyone was in the spirit of the 70's - outfits, hair, you name it - as the party featured preview performances from their upcoming production of the musical Saturday Night Fever. In fact, they even dubbed the event "Gateway's Disco Ball Gala".

The cocktail hour started in late afternoon and after I checked-in, I made my way to the tent with all the auction items. There were some impressive pieces up for bidding. Among the many items were tickets/VIP treatment to Broadway shows, an African Safari trip, stunning artwork, and a Saturday Night Fever movie swag basket complete with John Travolta's autograph (and certificate of authenticity). Additionally, hors d'oeuvres were provided by the West Lake Inn, Mediterranean Manor, and the Brickhouse Brewery. It was thrilling to see how excited everyone was for the evening even dancing to the DJ set before we went into the theatre.

Inside, we were first treated to a performance by the students of the East End Disability Creative Arts Program and a video presentation featuring the Gateway Acting School. The students gave a wonderful, rousing rendition of "I Don't Need Anything But You" from Annie culminating with roaring applause from the audience. The video presentation was very enlightening. Acting School Director Michael Baker and Director of Development Scot Patrick Allan spoke of the classes and its goals for the community and had dazzling testimonials from alumni of Gateway's Acing school.

After the performance and video presentation, the stunning cast of Gateway's Saturday Night Fever, which is opening this weekend, took the stage. In full costume and make-up, they performed three selections. If the preview performances were any indication, the show is going to be absolutely superb. I'm beyond excited to tell you about the full show in my next article.

Following the video presentation and performances, it was time to dine and dace. Under a second tent, as the auction tent was still active, live music was delivered by the Bay Ridge All Stars keeping the festivities lively. Dinner was provided by several local eateries including Avino's, Porter's, Painters Restaurant, The Bellport, Sunset Harbour, and Papa Nick's Pizzeria with delicious dessert provided by the Swan Bakery.

As you can see, the Gala was truly a splendid evening. Everything seemed to have gone very smoothly, even the weather was great. As a professional regional theatre, the Gateway's commitment to the community is truly inspiring especially with their education program. To learn more about them, please visit their web site www.gatewayplayhouse.org.

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