Fairfield Theater Company gala with music, food, wine is Nov. 7; Company runs the Klein in Bridgeport

Thursday, 05 November 2009 17:04

Singer and songwriter Steve Tyrell, who won a Grammy Award for music producing, will perform during the Fairfield Theatre Company’s (FTC) first annual gala, called Bella Notte, on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 9:30 p.m. at Stage One, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield.

The gala event will include entertainment, food and wine. Tyrell is best known for his hits “The Way You Look Tonight” and “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” He also is a respected Frank Sinatra interpreter.

Bella Notte, titled for one of Tyrell’s hits, will be the first fund-raising gala at FTC, the nonprofit organization that sponsors concerts at the Klein Memorial Auditorium as well as its smaller Stage One facility in Fairfield center.

The evening will begin at 7 p.m., at 55 Degrees Wine Bar and Restaurant, across the street from FTC, with a pre-show dinner of modern Italian specialties. That will be followed by cocktails and a live auction at Stage One, with auction items such as a Vespa motor scooter and a vacation at a five-bedroom house in Palm Beach, Fla.

Tyrell won a Grammy for producing Rod Stewart’s “Stardust.” He also has worked with Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder.

He has created hit songs by matching them to award-winning movies — “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” for the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; “The Look of Love,” for the movie Casino Royal; and the theme for the film Valley Of The Dolls.

After the FTC fund-raising show, Tyrrell begins a four-week run during the holidays at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City.

All proceeds from the gala will go to support future programming at FTC. Tickets cost $250 each; contact Gay Tice at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Through the FTC, the Klein has hosted such acts as George Carlin, Peter Frampton, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, k.d. lang and Jewel. Upcoming Klein shows are Lyle Lovett and His Large Band on Nov. 7, Dark Star Orchestra on Nov. 19, and the Fab Faux on March 13, 2010.