The Friends of the Center for the Arts to Hold Sixth Annual Masquerade Ball

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Friends of the Center for the Arts will present "The Roaring 20s," the center's sixth annual Masquerade Ball, to be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 30 in the atrium of the Center for the Arts on the University at Buffalo's North (Amherst) Campus.

The event will be sponsored by Gibraltar, The Global Group, Daffodils, BuffaloAtHome.com, Star 102.5, Commercial Print & Imaging, Natural White and Ivoclar.

UB President John B. Simpson and Katherine L. Gower are honorary chairs. Marilyn Ciancio and Carol Greiner are event chairs. Proceeds from the celebration will benefit the introduction of children to the live performing arts through the center's Schooltime Transportation Fund, Dance Outreach Residency and Explore the Arts Summer Program.

Stefan Mychajliw of WGRZ-TV and Sue O'Neill of Star 102.5 will host the event. The theme of the night will be "The Roaring 20s." The center's stages and backstage areas will be transformed into a 1920s speakeasy. Costumes or creative black tie are encouraged, but not required. Costumes will be judged for prizes.

A special performance presented by the UB Department of Theatre & Dance's Zodiaque Dance Company will be a highlight of the evening's festivities. Patrons will dance to the jazz and swing music of Lance Diamond. The event will include a live auction with Cash Cunningham, and silent and theme tray auctions that include furniture, theatre tickets, original art, Scanlon's jewelry, autographed memorabilia and weekend get-a-way packages.

Tickets for the event are $65 per person. The event will begin on the Drama Theatre stage with an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and silent and theme tray auctions. At 7:30 p.m. the event will move to the Mainstage for dinner, desserts, cash bar and auctions. The menu, prepared by Daffodils, will include: carving, pasta, stir-fry, potato bar, and dessert stations. Global Wine & Spirits will provide a champagne toast and wine with dinner.

The mission of the Friends of the Center for the Arts is to create an environment for the visual and performing arts to flourish through education, exploration, collaboration and presentation. Each year the center programs a professional dance residency, which benefits not only the UB students but the Western New York community as well. The residency program is designed to bring together dance students, students of related performing and fine art disciplines, dance companies and schools from throughout the community. Residency activities and master classes are provided at no cost to area schools that are interested in participating. Previous center dance residencies have reached more than 1,000 Western New York school children.

The Friends of the Center for the Arts provide financial support to the center's School Time Transportation Stipend program. This program has benefited hundreds of underserved area school children.

For more information, call 645-6774 or go to http://www.ubcfa.org.