IF YOU GO* What: Oh, What a Night! CSO Guild Gala.* When: 6 p.m. Saturday.* Where: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St.* Admission: $150.* Phone: 267-8583.* Website: www.chattanoogasymphony.org.
Oh, what a night.
An evening of sweet surrender in December 1963 might have ended much too soon, but the sounds of the Four Seasons and friends are coming to Chattanooga this weekend.
The annual Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Guild gala is flashing back to the ’60s (and a bit of the ’70s and ’80s) with a repertoire that features selections from Frankie Valli, Bobby Darrin, Otis Redding, Elvis, the Beach Boys and Michael Jackson, among others.
Guild co-president Margaret Green saw a production of the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” with her husband in Chicago and loved it.
“The music was incredible,” she said of the documentary-style musical based on the lives of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Green knew the CSO Guild was searching for a theme for the 2010 gala and contacted Broadway Pops International to help build a show around the music from the era.
“This is a bounce-off of ‘Jersey Boys,’ ” she said. “It’s going to get you to get out of your seat and have fun.”
Under the baton of CSO director Robert Bernhardt, the members of the orchestra will be joined by Broadway actors Bradley Dean (“A Little Night Music”), Ron Bohmer (“Ragtime”) and Tituss Burgess (“Guys and Dolls”).
The Guild Gala is the largest annual fundraising event for the CSO.
“It’s important to the symphony because ticket sales only cover 40 percent of the costs,” said CSO Executive Director Molly Sasse. “This is important to our bottom line.”
Last year, the proceeds took a significant downturn, totaling at just over $50,000, an almost 50 percent decrease from the previous year.
“We’re hoping and expecting to do better this year,” Sasse said. The projected goal is $75,000, but she said the Guild anticipates surpassing that.
“It’s a great party,” she said. “It’s a fun way to support the symphony.”
The evening will include cocktails, dinner, live music and an auction. Local band Broad Street Exit will play at an after-party for those who wish to hypnotize and mesmerize late into the night. Dress is black-tie optional.