The Englert’s Masquerade Ball fundraiser will host diverse music and dance.

By Alexis Dorr
alexis-dorr@uiowa.edu

Imagine a sea of glistening masks, adorning the faces of mysterious dancers, all swaying to music provided by a masked DJ.

On the night before Halloween, this cinematic scene will invade the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington, to raise funds for the historic Iowa City venue. Proceeds from the event will help fund Englert programs such as its Community Spotlight Series, Children’s Series, and more.

The Masquerade Ball fundraiser will begin at 8 p.m. Friday. A costume contest, live performances, and an auction featuring handmade jewelry from Hands Jewelers, 109 E. Washington, and vacations to locales across the United States will also contribute to the night’s festivities. Costumes are not mandatory for the Masquerade Ball, but they are highly recommended. Admission is $50.

The festive evening will commence with a dance party — participants are invited to get down onstage using all different types of dancing, from grinding to ballroom to theatrical pieces from guest performers. Organizers will also play selected pieces from The Phantom of the Opera to add to the masquerade theme.

“By having the party onstage, everything will look and feel like it’s part of a show,” said Nancy Mayfield, the Englert’s developmental director and volunteer coordinator. “Lighting, silver masks, strings of lights draped — it’s going to be very much an enchanting setting.”

The idea for the Masquerade Ball came from donors and Englert staff. The event took more than eight months to organize, but according to Mayfield, the majority of the work, including hanging decorations, securing performers, and mixing music, has occurred during the last two months.

Despite the extensive preparations, certain details of the show, like its participants, are still masked. Some Englert staff members have been kept in the dark as to the final product.

“It’s a surprise for us — we don’t get to see the decorations until the night of,” said Nicole Villanueva, the customer-service representative at the Englert box office.

Though the final result still lies in secret, Mayfield said she’s confident in the success of the evening.

“It will be an elegant evening for dancing and elegant wine,” she said.