October 5, 2009                                                                                                   

For Immediate Release

Grave Gala Offers up a Costume Party Evening not to be Missed!

On Saturday, October 31 Calgary Opera invites you to The Grave Gala – Shadows of the Night.  Every year this fantastic, flamboyant and fiendish Halloween bash takes over Hotel Arts giving guests a chance to let down their hair and celebrate with an evening of revelry you’ll never forget.

Taking inspiration from Calgary Opera’s first show of the season, Manon, which is a French opera set in Paris, this year’s Grave Gala takes you into the Shadows of the Night.  Bawdy, burlesque and never boring, this costume party is a night of adventure.

The Hotel Arts ballroom will be re-imagined and reborn as the Montmartre underworld on the outskirts of Paris.  It will be an evening like no other with seedy characters in every corner, and a vibrant dance floor with music selected and played by the incomparable DJ Thunder. Free psychic readings, delectable finger foods and an absinthe bar offer something for every taste.  For the creative, daring and imaginative, costumes will be judged with prizes given in six categories.

Tickets are $90. All proceeds from The Grave Gala go directly to Calgary Opera to help fund mainstage productions as well as Education and Outreach programs. For more information call Calgary Opera at (403) 262-7286 or purchase online at www.calgaryopera.com. The Grave Gala sells out every year, so get your tickets now, before it’s too late. Special: Buy 9 tickets and get the 10th ticket free!

Room rates are also available for party-goers who don’t want to drive home. Call Hotel Arts at 403-266-4611 to book the special Grave Gala rate.

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For further information, please contact: Alex Bonyun, Calgary Opera 403-802-3403, or abonyun@calgaryopera.com.