A tribute to the ideals and creative expressions of yesteryear, J.M. Randall’s latest gala event hopes to offer an excuse for folks to dust off their dancing shoes and enjoy a night out on the town. The Big Band Champagne Gala dances into Colonial Heritage Ballroom Aug. 18.
The evening combines live music, cocktails, dinner and dancing into something straight out of the mid-20th century.
“It’s going to be very Vaudeville-esque,” said Randall Plaxa, who organized the gala with his father, Mike.
A champagne fountain will greet guests as they arrive. WMBG radio personality Robert Hodge will emcee the event.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra, a swing and jazz ensemble formed during the 1950s, will headline the evening’s entertainment. The group is a tribute to the original ensemble of the same name, formed in 1936 by the eponymous bandleader whose plane went missing over the English Channel during World War II.
“They’re the best big band that ever was,” Mike Plaxa said.
The dinner portion of the gala features a screening of “The Glenn Miller Story,” a 1954 film featuring James Stewart as Miller. The orchestra continues to play across the globe, averaging 300 performances a year.
“It’s a privilege, really. No matter what your age is, there’s a unique energy that comes with this kind of music,” Randall Plaxa said.
The gala’s proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity organization that provides aid for wounded veterans. It was a natural fit for Mike Plaxa, whose brothers Paul and Peter were wounded during World War II.
“They’re a really a good group of people,” he said.
Leslie Hume, the nonprofit organization’s community fundraising specialist, said its programs help veterans wherever they may be in their recovery process.
“Whatever their highest ambition is, their next mission in life, our programs and our staff are here to help them reach that,” she said. “These grassroots events are extremely important. They really act as advocates for the organization.”
As of Tuesday morning, about 350 of the 400 available tickets were sold.
The dinner buffet includes options such as country ham in a chablis beurre blanc sauce, broiled salmon with mango salsa and red velvet cake for dessert. The evening’s raffle prizes include a diamond necklace, a tasting tour paired with lunch at the Williamsburg Winery and dinners for two at local establishments such as Sal’s by Victor and Paul’s Deli.
As the Glenn Miller Orchestra prepares to play hits such as “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” during the gala, music director Nick Hilscher said the group’s sound complements the event’s nostalgic tribute to enduring legacies and consistent ideals.
“I think it’s a perfect fit,” Hilscher said. “I think it’s pretty remarkable that even in 2018 we’re still going and we’re still doing what we do. We’ve kept it true over these many decades to the original.”
Want to go?
The Big Band Champagne Gala will be 5-10 p.m. Aug. 18 at Colonial Heritage Golf Club, 6500 Arthur Hills Drive. Tickets are $69, available online at bit.ly/2Mo5AcE or by calling 407-340-4920.
For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit bit.ly/2bcxFFi.
