Gaslight-Baker Theatre bets on Vegas for annual gala

By Miles Smith
LPR Editor

Vintage Las Vegas can have different connotations depending on who you are.
Maybe you’re thinking of the rat pack, and visions of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra come to mind. Or maybe you’re thinking of Elvis Presley in a white jumpsuit with a huge collar and flared hems.
Either way, you’re not wrong, says Gaslight-Baker Theatre director Tammy Francis, who said the inspiration for this year’s annual gala came strictly by the book.
“I got the idea when I was helping with a friend’s wedding and we had these old, leftover books,” she said. “I thought I could make the books look like decks of cards.”
Last year’s theme transported revelers to the 1920s, so Francis said she looked to advance things a few decades into the future.
“A sock hop was too much of a stretch,” she said, “So we’re going with a full blown Vegas theme.”
For the second consecutive year, the event will be held at the Two Wishes Ranch in Niederwald, a polo facility that was brand new in 2018.
“There are gardens and landscaping that weren’t there last year,” she said. “I’m told it’s supposed to be spectacular.”
Last year’s event featured live music, dancing, a silent auction and an awards ceremony.
This year’s installment is sure to feature the same, but with one added bonus: casino games that will include craps, roulette and blackjack.
“It’s non-professional – that’s not in the budget,” Francis said. “But we’ve got people who can deal cards and run the games.”
Tickets won in the games can be placed inside raffle buckets for prizes.
At press time, only 90 tickets had been sold, meaning many are still available for purchase at www.mygbt.org. Proceeds from the theatre’s annual fundraiser are expected to help make improvements to the bathrooms and to the tech tables at the back of the theatre.
“We’re wanting to improve safety and aesthetics, and we need to raise more money to do those projects,” Francis said.
Francis said she was looking forward to seeing what people wore.
“Last year, more than half the people who attended dressed up,” she said. “I think most people are going to associate the event with the rat pack, but maybe we’ll see some 1960s go-go outfits and some Elvis.”