Ticket sales exceed expectations at IPAL fundraiser

Published 5:00 am Sunday, March 25, 2018

Local lovers of the Iberia Performing Arts League traveled to the beautiful home of Tommy and Mary Carol LeBlanc Friday for a night of food and fun with fellow patrons of the arts. 

IPAL’s fundraiser “Broadway, Bites and Bubblies” took place at the home, where event goers could gaze at the Bayou Teche in the LeBlanc’s backyard while listening to classic theater tunes sung by regular IPAL cast members. 

The fundraiser is especially important for IPAL musicals. The funds received for the event goes toward paying an orchestra to provide high-quality productions. With the recent success of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” the benefits that an orchestra provides were easy to see. 

“The goal is to pay for the orchestra for the big musicals and this is the way we do it,” IPAL board member Donald “Doc Voorhies said at the event. 

Organizer Maggie Simon said tickets for the fundraiser were expected to be around 100, but an overwhelming reception saw around 150 tickets sold. Vehicles were lined all the way down Shadows Bend Friday evening with visitors contributing to the continued success of IPAL. 

“We sold more tickets than we thought we were going to sell, so it’s been going fantastic,” Simon said. 

Performances included Kim Monroe, who recently finished a run as Miss Mona for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Monroe and other performers sung in the backyard of the home, while patrons ate tasty food and drank specialty drinks during the performance. 

The next IPAL production will be Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park.” Auditions are taking place today and Monday, with an expected debut set for May 31.