The Port Alberni Rotary Club has a sweetheart of a deal for Portal Players Dramatic Society. And it’s going to mean a nice facelift for the Capitol Theatre this year.
The Rotary club is hosting its third annual Sweetheart dinner and dance on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Echo Centre. For the first time, they’ve invited Portal Players to put on a mystery theatre for the evening. In return, Rotary will donate a portion of proceeds earned from the fundraising dance to Portal Players, who will use the money for some renovations at the Capitol.
The other portion of the proceeds will go towards Rotary’s scholarship fund, president John Tierney said.
The Capitol turns 75 this year, and Portal Players have planned $50,000 in renos — the biggest chunk being replacing all the seating and refinishing the house floor. There will be some painting inside, the box office might be redesigned, and if enough grant money is found, a new catwalk lighting rig will be installed, theatre manager Elliot Drew said.
The Rotary donation will go a long way toward finishing everything.
The Players are famous for their improvised murder mysteries, but the Rotary event will be different, Drew said.
“It’s not a murder mystery, it’s a sweetheart mystery,” he said. The storyline follows the romance and mystery of one lucky lady. The audience will decided who she ends up with, and whether she ends up happy, he added.
Musicians Dennis Olsen and Denis Levasseur will provide musical entertainment for the dance part of the evening.
Tickets are $35 each and are available at the Rollin Art Centre, Echo Centre, Capitol Theatre box office and Scotiabank.
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