The Santa Clarita Regional Theatre celebrated the opening night of their premiere production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” with an invitation-only pre-show dinner party at the lovely home of Bill and Cathy Kennedy. A hundred select guests gathered for an exquisite dinner, catered by An Affaire Extraordinaire, with wine provided by the Loose Goose Wine Festival, as they enjoyed a wonderful summer evening with balmy breezes and a lovely view in the Woodlands Estates area just across Valencia Boulevard from the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons.
Following the dinner party, guests gathered in the Golden Circle at the Performing Arts Center, for a glorious opening night performance of “Beauty and the Beast.”
The newly launched Santa Clarita Regional Theatre wanted a celebration to mark this first opening night, so the idea for a First Nighter’s Club was born. This inaugural event raised $10,000 for the producing organization, which will be presenting their second production in March, 2008.
Newhall Land has been a committed supporter of the theatre for many years, but this year they stepped up their support to become the Title Sponsors of this premiere production of the Santa Clarita Regional Theatre. Everyone enjoyed the camaraderie at the dinner party and shared in the standing ovation for “Beauty and the Beast” during the curtain call. TimBen Boydston, Executive Director and City of Santa Clarita Councilperson, and Patti Finley, Assistant Theatre Director, who co-directed the production, were thrilled with the turnout and the show of support for the new Regional Theatre. They are already planning for the next First Nighters event which will be held prior to the opening night performance of the SCRT’s production of “Man of La Mancha” on March 1st. “It was such fun to have an event like this where we didn’t have to ask for money with auctions, etc.” said Boydston. “We just wanted to be able to celebrate this special occasion at a special party with our friends, and we did just that.”
