The wait is over. The Flat Rock Playhouse will present its annual Dark Night Revue Fundraiser on Monday, August 13, 6pm. Celebrating the hard work, passion, and collaboration that goes into the arts The Flat Rock Playhouse and the Supporting Players Guild of Flat Rock Playhouse will bring audiences Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts.
Coming together on August 13, 6pm, Vagabonds past, present, and future will honor the longstanding tradition of the Flat Rock Playhouse, The Vagabond School of the Drama, to produce artistic excellence, provide educational opportunities, and promote accessibility to the arts. This tradition developed over the years because of a team of individuals working on their specific craft, from performing to designing to administrating, to create and share something meaningful with a community of patrons, supporters, and partners – the Vagabond family.
The evening will honor the craftsmanship within the local community by featuring craft beer and wine, a one-of-a-kind raffle, online auction items, gourmet food stations, and a one-night-only performance featuring Nat Zegree.
Audiences fell in love with Nat Zegree in May 2016 for his lively and charming portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in the season’s smash hit, Million Dollar Quartet. Again in September 2017, Nat Zegree amazed audiences with his musical prowess and infectious spirit as Mozart in Amadeus. He returned to the Playhouse shortly after in an exclusive one-night-only concert, entitled One Nat Only, to share his journey and how he cultivated his passion into an artistic craft, in a performance that featured only the fundamentals: himself, a piano, and the audience. Nat Zegree will return to the Flat Rock Playhouse stage for Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts to support The Vagabond Spirit of education and excellence while accompanied by the future of the arts: the 2018 Apprentice Company and local Studio 52 student performers.
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to the Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina.
What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, educational performing opportunities, camps, and a robust year-round family programming schedule. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina. Support and enjoy the Vagabond Spirit, full of passion and ingenuity, at Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts.
Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts begins at 6pm with craft beer and wine and gourmet food stations 6-7:30pm along with an on-site raffle and an online auction that will close at the start of the show. The Dark Nat Revue Performance will begin at 7:30pm. The online auction will open online two weeks before August 13th.
Catering is provided by Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, Ingles The Chef’s Kitchen, Cuisine Team, Season’s at Highland Lake, Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Brandy’s on Main.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts will be presented on Monday, August 13 at the Flat Rock Playhouse Grounds. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 8th. Prices range from $75 – $150 and are as follows:
$150 – Reserved dinner seating and VIP show seating (limited availability)
$100 – Open dinner seating and reserved show seating
$75 – Show Seating Only
Suggested Attire: Dress for the heat, but look chic!
Address: 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731.
To reserve your spot for this truly unforgettable event, call the Flat Rock Playhouse Box Office at (828) 693-0731. Please be prepared with all attending guests’ names and phone numbers. All proceeds benefit Flat Rock Playhouse, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. The Flat Rock Playhouse Development Team will issue a tax letter based on your price level.