Sebastiani prepares for its annual fundraising gala

The Sebastiani Theatre will host its third annual gala, “The Golden Age of Hollywood,” on April 11 at the historic theater. The Sonoma Index-Tribune, file

Image

By Tim Curley

FOR THE INDEX-TRIBUNE

The Sebastiani Theatre continues to be the big wheel for entertainment in the valley.

If you can pry yourself out of your Stratolounger (believe me, I know it’s not easy) and make it down to the Sonoma Plaza, the Sebastiani offers live music, films, magic, dramatic performances, spoken word, and comedy.

The listings in Yhe Sound Check, located at the bottom of this page, only cover the two upcoming weekends, but there are many events at the big house on the Plaza that are worth mentioning while tickets are still available.

In annoying list form, here are some notable upcoming events:

April 9: Garrison Keillor,

April 11: the Sebastiani Theatre’s annual fundraiser “The Golden Age of Hollywood”;

April 12: Brian Nova;

April 24: Sally Kohn;

May 16: Magic Banana Hour;

May 22: “Deja Vu” and “Harvest” (take 3);

May 23: Bob Dylan Tribute, and;

May 30: “Miles Davis at 100 Celebration.”

The Sebastiani Theatre’s annual fundraising gala /auction begins at 6 p.m.

In what is billed as “an immersive fundraising experience,” attendees will be feted to a live, jazzy performance by The Neil Fontano Band followed by SUSU, a sizzling musical act from New York City that has shaken up the Sebastiani Theatre twice in recent years.

Ace soundman Nathaniel Aslaksen, who works the sound board for almost all the shows at the theater, once proclaimed SUSU to be the best show he has seen there in a long, long time.

The flashy hosts for the classy event will be Lisa Colby and Kia Warren of SUSU. Their big-city energy will kick it up a notch, for sure.

The fundraising portion of the night happens at the direction of renowned auctioneer, and hometown entertainer extraordinaire, Ellen Toscano. With her gentle prodding, attendees will be invited to dig deep into their wallets and toss lots of Benjamins into the theatre’s big top hat.

Classic Hollywood elegance will complement the canapes and wine offered in the lobby during the event.

The Sebastiani Theatre is in the midst of a major fundraising campaign to remodel and modernize its facilities and this event will help in reaching that goal.

Tickets to the gala may be obtained by visiting sebastianitheatre.org.