The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Rolls Out The Purple Carpet For Its 40th Anniversary Audience

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will literally roll out the purple carpet for their 40th Anniversary Audience to enter tomorrow night's celebration at 7:30 PM which includes special guest Mr. Tony Bennett performing Tuesday January 5th, 2010 at 8 PM. The Purple Cow has long been serving up its audiences with great celebrities such as Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Bob Dylan, and Bob Hope, to name a few.

January 5, 2010 will mark 40 years to the day that the Hall opened with a production of "Fiddler On the Roof". Prior to the Tony Bennet performance there will be sky tracker lights (search lights) outside the Hall lighting up the night sky and we will be rolling out the purple carpet Hollywood style! The Van Wezel's Executive Director Mary Bensel will introduce the concert onstage and mention the festivities that are planned for the evening. The show will feature both Tony Bennett an iconic superstar who is making his 13th appearance at the Hall -whose show is completely sold out and his daughter will open the show. Immediately following the performance Mayor Clapp will present Tony Bennett with the Key to the City on stage. Senator Bennett and Representative Fitzgerald will present the Mayor and Mary Bensel with proclamations and congratulations from the Florida House and Senate and from Governor Crist. There will be a special commemorative program that will be inserted in the regular program featuring original photos and the proclamations that the Director of Marketing Julia Mays and the Van Wezel's Graphic Artist Tim Camerisi graciously put together.

After the Tony Bennett performance everyone will be invited to come downstairs to the Grand Foyer and the bayfront for the cutting of the Van Wezel cake, wine and fireworks. There will be a platform set up in front of the art wall where Mike Martella, President of Boar's Head (one of our great sponsors) and the Chairman of the Van Wezel Foundation and Senator Detert will unveil a print by Tony Bennett which will be auctioned off at the Foundation Gala featuring Gladys Knight on Valentine's Day. After that Commissioners Atwell, Kirschner and Turner will cut our Anniversary cake and then Shaun Merriman, President of Gateway Bank and City Manger, Bob Bartolotta will start the fireworks that will be shot off behind the Hall over the bay front. Representing the Sarasota County Commission will be Commissioner Joe Barbetta who will be accompanied by his wife Mary.

The VW Foundation has sponsored the Tony Bennett performance, the fireworks have been sponsored by Gateway Bank, the deserts have been sponsored by Michaels On East, and the wine and cake have been donated by the VW Foundation, with the Van Wezel's own signature tea by Local Coffee + Tea.

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