On Sunday, November 19th, the United Palace of Cultural Arts will host their annual fundraiser, celebrating the theater's abundant history and recent reawakening with a special screening of the beloved movie musical 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968).
The fundraiser will support United Palace's Movies at the Palace, an ongoing series bringing back the grandeur of attending the movies.
As previously announced, event goers will have the option to attend a pre-show Q&A between Richard Ridge of BroadwayWorld and Tony Award-winning actress Chita Rivera, who is close friends with a number of principals from the film, including star Dick Van Dyke and choreographer Dee Dee Wood.
In addition, an exact replica of the iconic flying car from the 1968 film will be on display.
The pre-show portion of the event will close with a performance by the Broadway Performing Arts Center to honor the Broadway version of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
The 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' replica car was handmade by retired NYPD Detective Sergeant Tony Garofalo. The full-size, street legal car drove Mr. Dick Van Dyke around his hometown of Danville, Illinois in 2016 and was featured in the New York Times and the 2016 New York International Auto Show. After the movie, one raffle winner will be photographed in the car where Dick Van Dyke sat. Learn about Tony's five-year effort to build his replica car here.
Formerly known as the Loew's 175th Street Theatre, the remarkable United Palace is located at 4140 Broadway at 175th Street in Washington Heights. Originally opened in 1930 as one of the metro area's five Wonder Theaters, the theater continues its storied history by hosting special events including concerts, film screenings, church services and more.
Tickets: Meet and Greet with Chita Rivera: $100; Photo with car: $20; Adult tickets: $15; Child ticket: $5. Purchase tickets at bit.ly/2yjDGtO.
For more about United Palace, visit www.unitedpalacearts.org, or follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UPCAnyc, Twitter: twitter.com/UPCArts_NYC, and Instagram: www.instagram.com/upcarts_nyc.
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