By Chad Peyton of Towne & Country Players

VERSAILLES — Who doesn’t enjoy a “night out on the town”? And if that town is New York, maybe you take in dinner and a show. Granted, Versailles is not exactly the “Big Apple,” but for three evenings in July, you can get a sampling of that NYC feeling, as Versailles Towne & Country Players and Hotel Versailles team up to offer a “Newsies Night Out.”

Looking for a new way to help create excitement for their upcoming July production of Disney’s “Newsies,” Towne & Country Players thought pairing a dinner event along with the show would be a fun idea and immediately thought Hotel Versailles and Silas would be a great potential partner. T&CP Board members Lindsey Ausborn and Allison Cox reached out to Hotel Versailles’ Managing Director Jack Olshan to gauge their interest in working on something that would be mutually beneficial. Said Lindsey Ausborn of the initial idea, “Dinner and a show are a natural pairing. Hotel Versailles and T&CP have been looking for an opportunity to work together on an arts centered event since the hotel’s reopening.”

Maria Bennett, Silas Food and Beverage, General Manager agreed with the logical nature of the event, saying, “At Hotel Versailles and Silas Creative Kitchen, we pride ourselves on the art of creating memorable experiences for our guests. Every night the artists of Towne & Country Players take the stage, [they] are also creating memorable experiences! We are excited to share in this!”

This truly was a collaborative effort. Along with T&CP board members Ausborn and Cox, ideas were shared and discussed over several meetings with Silas’ Maria Bennett, Executive Chef Aaron Allen and Hotel Versailles Managing Director Jack Olshan. Since “Newsies” takes place in New York City, the outcome was a vision of a true New York night on the town. The hotel’s 1819 Room would be used as a space to accommodate guests who would be offered a delicious New York themed dinner, along with cocktails.

Originally conceived as a one night event, it was decided to offer it all three evenings of the production. The dinner and show package will include a ticket to the show and a seat in the 1819 Room where there will be a cash bar “cocktail hour” from 4 to 5 p.m. From 5 to 7 p.m. will be the New York themed dinner buffet, consisting of mini pastrami sliders, an Italian salad, lasagna, garlic bread and New York style cheesecake. There will also be a free shuttle to and from the theatre included for those interested.

Towne & Country Players board members were thrilled with the plan and are very anxious to see the event succeed and lead to future endeavors. Said Ausborn, ” They have been absolutely wonderful to work with. Chef Aaron created the New York themed cuisine and Jack had great ideas on how they could best serve our guests while continuing to give back to our organization. We hope this is just the beginning of a long partnership with Hotel Versailles that allows us to create a unique and memorable experience for our patrons.” Silas’ Maria Bennett echoed the sentiment by stating, “We, too, hope this is the start to a long time partnership with the fine arts community.”

Tickets for Towne & Country Players production of Disney’s “Newsies” are on sale now. Production dates are July 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and two shows on Saturday, July 15 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dinner and show tickets are available for each performance for $45. Show only tickets are also available for $15. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.towneandcountryplayers.com and clicking on the ticket link or by calling 937-417-1094.