By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
If you’re looking for the perfect date night or just a special evening with great food and beautiful music, an upcoming production by select musical groups from Virgin Valley High School may be just the thing for you.
The VVHS choir, guitar, and orchestra classes are presenting an evening called “Bella Notte” at the Eureka Casino in Mesquite. The Italian-themed evening will feature a deluxe Italian dinner provided by the chefs at the Eureka. The VVHS musical groups will provide background music and entertainment.
Chris Noone, the chef from the VVHS culinary arts program, will be preparing a variety of Italian-themed desserts guaranteed to perfectly cap off the meal and satisfy any sweet tooth.
The evening is intended to support the VVHS music program. Music leader Marie Palmer is in her second year of teaching at VVHS. She read about similar fundraisers that were a big success. “It was a popular fundraiser in other areas,” she said. “Everyone loves Italian food and there are over 400 years of Italian music to choose from. So it is really something everyone can enjoy.”
Palmer said that funds generated from the evening are earmarked to improve the music program’s basic sound equipment and to replace and repair instruments including piano tuning.Travel and registration fees for their annual festival competition and performance are also being raised.
“The students have been working hard and are very excited to be performing in a new venue and for such a fun occasion,” Palmer said. “It’s been a great motivational factor for them.”
The theme for the evening, “Bella Notte” was chosen by the students. Palmer said that they wanted something that imparted the special nature of the night. The term “Bella Notte” actually means “beautiful night” in Italian.
The dinner will be held on the evening of Tuesday, October 3, in the Grand Canyon Room of the Eureka Resort and Casino. Antipasti will be served at 5:30, with the guitar students playing to welcome everyone as they come in. Then the main dinner will begin at 6:00 pm, accompanied by the choir and orchestra students.
“We are grateful for the staff at the Eureka for being so kind and willing to work with us,” Palmer said.
In addition to providing the catering for the dinner, the casino staff also provided all the decorations and printed all the posters advertising the evening.
The young musicians are planning to perform all sorts of Italian favorites such as Carnival of Venice, Funiculi Funicula, That’s Amore, The theme from The Godfather, Tarantella, and, of course, Bella Notte from the Disney film, “Lady and the Tramp.”
There is limited seating available for the event so tickets will only be available until they are sold out. Palmer encourages people to buy tickets online at vvhsbellanotte.bpt.me or by dropping by the school and buying them from the front office. Tickets are $50 a person for the event and include the dinner, dessert, and entertainment.
“The students are really excited about the fun music and excited to get to perform it at a new venue,” Palmer said. “With great food and good music, it is an evening that promises to not disappoint.”
For questions or more information, contact Virgin Valley High School at 702-346-2780.
