Flat Rock Playhouse Presents Annual Fundraiser DARK NAT REVUE

On Monday, August 13th, The Flat Rock Playhouse and the Supporting Players Guild will transform the Rock in celebration of a longstanding tradition, The Annual Dark Night Fundraiser. Beginning at 6 PM, the evening will feature Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Nat Zegree, as the headlining performer alongside the 2018 Apprentice Company and special guests. This rousing fundraiser will celebrate both the best of The Flat Rock Playhouse and the creation of Broadway quality theater as well as the dynamic craftsmanship within the local community. Attendees can expect a delightful evening full of top-notch food, drink, and entertainment at the historic Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage where innovation meets tradition for Dark NAT Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts!

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 followed by another sell-out performance in December The Nat Before Christmas.

Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts will begin at 6 PM on Monday, August 13th at the Mainstage with gourmet food stations catered by Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, Ingles The Chef's Kitchen, Cuisine Team, Season's at Highland Lake, Trinity View, Brandy's on Main and Hen-Dough.

The evening will also feature an exciting onsite raffle with items designed by the Flat Rock Playhouse Staff including handmade wood crafts, performing arts classes and visual art pieces. Full details for the raffle are available as a part of the Flat Rock Playhouse Online Auction. The Online Auction is open now and allows participants to easily view the incredible experience packages, keep track of current bids on a phone or computer, and participate in the Annual Fundraiser from near and far. Closing at 7:30 PM on August 13th, the online auction will include packages including seeing Hamilton on Broadway (including a meet and greet with the current Hamilton on Broadway, Michael Luwoye, a former Flat Rock Playhouse Apprentice), a theatre trip to London, luxury excursions to Prague, Tuscany, passes to the Elton John Farewell Concert and tickets to the upcoming World Equestrian Game. To view the items or get started bidding, visit the Flat Rock Playhouse website and click on the Dark Nat Revue tab under Donate. Both raffle and online auction winners will be announced during the Dark Nat Revue performance.

Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts begins at 6:00 PM with craft beer and wine and gourmet food stations until 7:30 PM along with an on-site raffle and an online auction that will close at the start of the show. Doors will open to the Dark Nat Revue Performance at 7:30 PM. The online auction is open now and can be found at https://qtego.net/qlink/flatrock.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

Dark Nat Revue: Cultivating the Craft of the Arts will be presented on Monday, August 13th at the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage. Ticket prices range from $75 - $100 and are as follows:

$100 - Open dinner seating and reserved show seating

$75 - Show Seating Only

The $150 VIP level is sold out.

Suggested Attire: Dress for the heat, but look chic!

Address: 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28731.

To reserve a spot for this truly unforgettable event, patrons can call the Flat Rock Playhouse Box Office at 828.693.0731 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 the price level.

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 100,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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