By Lisa Byers

Meadville Tribune

As a nonprofit organization, the Academy Theatre relies heavily on the support of others to continue to bring the performing arts to Crawford County.

One of its biggest fundraisers is its annual Gala, an event filled with all the glitz and glamour of a Broadway debut, featuring top professional performers. The Gala was started 12 years ago by the late Richard Lang, a Meadville businessman who was a big supporter of the arts and, in particular, the Academy.

Academy Theatre managing director Kelly McMahon said the Gala was once extremely popular. But while the event itself “hasn’t waned in popularity, people have more to do now,” she said. “It isn’t where it once was when it started.”

The Academy is hoping to change that with the 2009 Gala, thanks to lower ticket prices and a familiar face as its featured performer: Amanda Post.

The Gala is set for 8 p.m. on Sept. 19.

“We did a lot of work this year,” McMahon said. “We worked really hard to get Amanda Post here, who seems to be very popular in this area. We also worked with the pricing. We really worked to see how we could attract new people.”

Post, a co-anchor on the WICU-12’s nightly news, is well known for her performances on stage. One of her biggest roles was the portrayal of country music star Patsy Cline in the hit musical “Always … Patsy Cline,” which played at the former Roadhouse Theatre in Erie and sold out for a four-month run, before being moved to the Warner Theatre.

Post is expected to sing a few songs of Cline’s at the Gala in addition to some of her favorites from Barbra Streisand to Broadway shows.

Ticket prices, which were a flat $150 in the past, range from $150 to $75. An on-stage reception will follow Post’s performance, complete with wine and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are available by invitation only, but McMahon said anyone can call the Academy at 337-8000 daily between 4 and 6 p.m. to request an invitation.

McMahon said the event is formal. “It’s not necessarily black tie, but if they want to wear a tux or bust out the evening wear, that’s fine, too.”

Lisa Byers can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at lbyers@meadvilletribune.com.