Elmira Little Theatre will hold its first annual fundraiser on January 19, 2007, in the upper lobby of the Clemens Center at 6pm preceding the opening night performance of this season's production of A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio.  The guest of honor at the gala will be Jon Provost who starred at Timmy in TV's classic Lassie and who will be performing during this year's radio show.  Food and beverages will be served and there will be live entertainment performed by the stars of many ELT shows of the past several seasons.

"This is a really exciting opportunity for members of the community to have the opportunity to meet Jon Provost while supporting a great cause," said Judy Born, Vice President of Elmira Little Theatre Board of Governors and Chair of the Gala Committee.  "The money raised by our Opening Night Gala will be used by ELT to keep bringing live theater to the Southern Tier."

"We try to keep our ticket prices reasonable, but our expenses have continued to rise through the years," explained Mike Lavarnway, President of ELT.  "ELT is committed to producing quality shows and so we must reach out to the community we serve and ask for its support."   Lavarnway feels that the gala to celebrate the opening night of A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio is a perfect way for ELT to kick off its fundraising initiative. "The Golden Age of Radio has been a vital part of ELT seasons for twenty years.  What better way to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary than with a great party that will give our supporters a chance to meet this year's special guest, Jon Provost, face to face."

"We've had special guest stars for the radio shows since 1991," said Gary Yoggy, director of all twenty editions of A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio and an enthusiastic member of ELT, "but this is the first time ELT has created an opportunity for our audiences to meet our guest star in a social setting.  Jon will be signing autographs and selling his memorabilia during the party."

The Opening Night Gala is being supported by many local businesses.  "We're very pleased by the generous donations of food and door prizes we've received for the Gala.  People know that ELT is an Elmira institution and deserves their support," Kim Richards said.  As the Chair of ELT's Fundraising Committee, she worked closely with Judy Born to make the Gala a reality.  "Elmira Little Theatre has been bringing quality live theater to the Southern Tier for over sixty years.  It truly is a community theater group.  The actors, directors, designers, stage crews, musicians--everyone who works on or off stage--are all locals who volunteer their time and talent to make ELT shows a success.  We have deep roots within the community and the only way we'll survive another 60 years is with the continued support of the community."

"We're making a concerted effort this season to reach out to the community at large to find out how we can best serve them.  The Opening Night Gala is just one part of this initiative," Lavarnway said.  " Last fall, we polled our audiences to find out what play from a list of five choices they would like us to produce next season.  We've counted the votes and will announce the winning title in February."

Admission for the Opening Night Gala is $25.00 per person for ELT members and $30.00 for non-members.  Admission is strictly limited to 75 paid attendees, so reservations are encouraged.  Admittance at the door will be $35.00 per person for members and non-members alike, if there are any seats available.  To reserve a seat, please mail your name and the number of reservations you wish to make along with your payment by check or money order by Friday, January 12th to:  Elmira Little Theatre, PO Box 761, Elmira, NY 14902.  Name tags with your names will be held at the door that will allow your admittance to the event.  If you wish to reserve tickets for that evening's performance of A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio, please call the Clemens Center box office at 607-734-8191.

A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio will have four performances this year at the Clemens Center's Mandeville Hall:  Friday, January 19th, and Saturday, January 20th, at 7:30pm; and Saturday, January 20th, and Sunday, January 21st at 2pm.  General admission tickets are $12.00, or $10.00 for seniors and students.  Since many ELT performances sell out, reservations are encouraged.  To reserve tickets, lease call the Clemens Center box office at 607-734-8191.