Apricot Brandy Announces 50th Anniversary Bash

The Apricot Brandy have been playing soul music all around Northwest Connecticut since 1968. Through the years, band members have come and gone, but James "Moon" Maraia and Jim "Schultz" Buonocore play on and are currently joined by Robert Grillo on drums, Allen Gunn on vocals, Greg Dolecki on sax, RJ Avalone on trumpet and Jeff Shea/Joe Bouchard on keyboards.

On September 14, the band invites you to celebrate 50 years of playing music with them at the 50th Anniversary Bash, an outdoor concert being held at Wright's Barn in Torrington. Gates will open at 6 pm and the concert will begin at 7 pm, rain or shine. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Warner Theatre. Guests are welcome to BYOB (Bring Your Own Brandy!) and picnic on the grounds. Food will be available for purchase at Wright's Barn Café and Pizzeria Marzano. Parking will be available at Wright's Barn for handicapped parking ONLY. All others should park at the former UCONN Torrington Campus at 855 University Drive in Torrington. Guests will then be transported via bus to Wright's Barn for the event. Transportation will be provided between the two locations all evening.

"We are very excited to be a part of this event and grateful to Apricot Brandy, Jim and Carol Wright of Wright's Barn and the committee for the Anniversary Bash for choosing the Warner as the recipient of the proceeds. Wright's Country Club was a rite of passage for a decade of teenagers in the Northwest Corner, as was the music of Apricot Brandy and so many other area bands that were a constant at Wright's." - Lynn Gelormino, Warner Theatre "If you are of a certain age and you aren't excited about this event, you better check yourself for a pulse. We're looking forward to seeing you all." - Jim Wright, Wright's Barn. Tickets are $35. To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit www.warnertheatre.org

Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat Studio Theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region.

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