Silverthorne Theater Company wants you to break out your bobby sox and blue suede shoes for an evening of 1950’s food, dancing and fun.
On Saturday, March 30, from 7 to 10 p.m., Silverthorne is holding its “Rock Around the Block” benefit party at The Perch, Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center’s fourth floor performance space.
The benefit party, in the theme of a 1950’s sock hop, will include dance instruction, a pizza competition, a special guest appearance by Travis LeDoyt, a Greenfield native and Elvis Presley tribute artist, and music selected by disc jockey Rockin’ Johnnie. Costumes are optional.
All proceeds from the event benefit Silverthorne’s upcoming 2019 season, which opens April 25 with “Tales of the Lost Formicans,” Amherst playwright Constance Congdon’s classic story of futuristic alien archaeologists struggling to make sense of the life of a dysfunctional 20th-century mid-western American family.
According to Silverthorne’s Artistic Director Lucinda Kidder, “Tales of the Lost Formicans” is what inspired organizers of the annual fundraiser to decide on a 1950s sock hop.
“It especially came into its own in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s,” Kidder said of the play. “That loose connection is what started our thinking, and sock hops are a lot of fun. … People will have a really good time and will be supporting the company at the same time.”
From 7 to 7:30 p.m., Amie Hebert of Amherst will teach participants swing and jitterbug dancing. Then eight local pizza houses will vie for the top spot in a Battle of the Pies, with party-goers enjoying sample bites from each before casting their votes. The participating pizza houses are: Antonio’s Pizza and Grinders in Greenfield, Goodies Restaurant, Hillside Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Athens Pizza, Village Pizza, Magpie and The Blue Rock Restaurant & Bar.
Beverages will be available at Hawks & Reed’s cash bar, as well as popcorn and make-your-own sundaes with ice cream and hot fudge from Herrell’s and toppings from Foster’s Supermarket.
LeDoyt will attend “Rock Around the Block” with his family, and perform a few songs, Kidder said. LeDoyt is returning from a stint as one of the headlining acts for Royal Caribbean Cruises, and recently performed a benefit concert for Greenfield High School’s music department.
Keeping in the theme, Kidder said mannequins will be dressed up in poodle skirts and other 1950’s-era garb, decorating Hawks & Reed for the event. Iconic objects from Silverthorne’s four 2019 shows will also be on display, offering a sort of “sneak preview.”
Silverthorne holds two fundraisers per year — one before its season begins in March and an end-of-the-season celebration in the fall. Kidder said the theater company is known for thinking outside the box in its themes for fundraisers, with last year’s event being a faux wedding reception, where guests were instructed to come as the worst wedding guests they could imagine.
Tickets for the March 30 fundraiser are $35 for anyone under 40, and $55 for people ages 41 and up. (Couples with one person under 40 will get the lower rate.)
“We’re really hoping a lot of the under-40 crowd will come to learn just what a ’50’s sock hop is all about,” Kidder said to explain the difference in ticket prices.