Sandy Chapin, Harry Chapin’s wife, is planning on coming. Actor Eric William Morris, who will play singer-songwriter philanthropist Harry Chapin next March in “Harry Chapin: I Wanna Learn a Love Song,” will be among the entertainment, along with one of the key actors in The Gateway Playhouse’s next production, “Come From Away.”
And new board member and popular local Tony Vargas, an executive leader in real estate and workplace strategy, will exuberantly preside as master of ceremonies at the Gateway Playhouse Party on the Point fundraiser, Friday, July 31, at the waterfront estate of Boykin Curry, 99 South Howells Road in Bellport.
“Grucci fireworks will be set to an eight-minute soundtrack to recent Gateway and Broadway favorites,” said executive creative director Paul Allan of the second time Fireworks by Grucci will dazzle onlookers over Bellport Bay at a Gateway function.
“We’re offering VIP tickets that include a tour of Boykin’s house where the Netflix [TV series] ‘Love Story’ was filmed,” said director of development Susan Daconto. “Those ticket holders will have reserved seating on the mansion’s wide deck for dinner and the fireworks display.”
Sign up for that one quickly; five have already been sold.
A signature cocktail is being developed as we speak for the open bar and food offered is from local restaurants. Trips raffled off include a Greenport yacht ride for six people.
“The money raised so far has been put towards some of the upgrades,” Daconto said. Hopefully, more will come in with this lavish gala.
Patrons have been privy to some of the renovations already completed, including the gorgeous new seats with a “G” logo setting off each aisle and new Art Deco ladies’ and men’s rooms. Gateway is working to complete the upgrades thanks to a $1,450,000 Suffolk County SMART Small Business Downtown Grant award and a New York State Arts Capital Grant Small Improvement Grant of about $10,000. A private donor gave an additional $500,000.
The lobby will be worked on next: a 3,300-square-foot addition accommodating 300 people with a 40-by-60 bar area with a rounded glass exterior wall in front of the barn, overlooking the Gateway sign behind it.
The 70-year-old musical theater premiered its first Cabaret Night in March in the Barn Theater, with actors from past and current musicals (Sally Struthers, Gail Bennett) adding more electric-charged performances and opportunities for ticket holders to mingle and meet the actors.
Allan’s crew had set up a stage in front of the office: a sneak preview of the next Haunted House attraction.
“We’re building a 3D Funhouse. We had to order 10,000 pairs of these and are having them made in China,” he said dangling a pair of 3D glasses for the wildly popular Haunted House event in the fall.
As Daconto added, “The price you pay, you’ll get it back.”
For tickets, click on thegateway.org. Box office (215 South Country Road, Bellport) is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Monday. Or call, 631-286-1133.
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