New Masquerade Ball at Canfield Casino Benefits SaratogaArtsFest Fridays
SARATOGA SPRINGS- Once upon a time… I came along on a journey…
The moral of this story is plain to see:
Your presence is requested at the Inaugural All Hallows Eve Masquerade Ball, which will descend upon the (some say) haunted Canfield Casino on Thursday, October 26, at 7 pm.
Once inside, you will be treated to a unique ‘immersive’ experience, according to the organizers. Ellen Beal, chair of the Board of Directors of SaratogaArtsFest, said, “Guests will encounter Ill-fated damsels (such as Sleeping Beauty), menacing henchmen, and evil stepmothers. These costumed characters will make surprise appearances throughout the evening and play out famous moments from their storybook history.”
Ellen further noted that the event’s theme is inspired by a combination of the Dark Faerie Tale Characters of the Brothers Grimm, with the innovative, immersive theatre of the smash hit Sleep No More – which you can read about HERE.
But that is hardly all they are planning. This event will have a sit-down dinner (yes, you may remove your mask to eat!) and open bar throughout (ditto), featuring steaming signature Hallows’ Eve cocktails, and passed hors d’oeuvres by Lily + the Rose. Valet parking is sponsored by The Savory Pantry. Other features include:
– An evening comprised of darker-themed elements that cater to an adult crowd – just in time for adults who like to get in the Halloween spirit,
– Canfield Casino, with its famed haunted third floor, will be the perfect setting for an elegant evening, touched with the macabre and supernatural allure. During the event itself, they will raffle off a private guided tour of the “no access – closed to the public” third floor haunted room to a few lucky guests,
– A team of theatrical producers and accredited set designers will turn the gilded Casino into a candelabra-bedecked royal court – worthy of Grimm’s evil queens and kings of yore,
– Guests are invited to get into the Hallows’ Eve spirit of the evening. They can dress up in elegant masks or costumes if they wish and even interact with the performers.
– Performances by Sylvia Stoner-Hawkins, an artist in residence in opera at Skidmore and regional winner of the National Council Auditions for the Metropolitan, professional actors, including members of local improv geniuses Mop Co. A tarot card reader and masked spirit guides will also be on hand.
– Special theatrical lighting and sound will be brought in to transport audience members to an evening of Hallows’ Eve mystery.
The price is a little steep – $150 per person does buy a lot of peeps and candy corn! Yet it benefits a plethora of family friendly free (or mostly free) entertainment programming throughout the year. According to Dee Sarno, a prominent member of the Ball’s Honorary Committee: “SaratogaArtsFest is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and one staff person, our Artistic Director, Nicole Coady. Our mission and passion is to present free, family friendly art celebrations, to encourage people of all ages and economic backgrounds to enjoy and get involved in the arts.
“We interact and collaborate with artists in all genres and hold our Arts Fest Friday events in Saratoga’s many diverse art settings. Please support our gala and help keep our great community art events free!”
{{{Note: These guys had me at the ‘ill-fated damsels,’ which apparently have been in orbit, like an asteroid belt, around Planet Arthur for decades….}}}
The entire invitation is available here. To purchase tickets, visit this link.
Arthur Gonick
October 18, 2017
