Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 10, 1993                   TAG: 9309220315
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOE KENNEDY STAFF WRITER|
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ALL DRESSED UP WITH SOMEPLACE TO GO

It's Center in the Square's annual fund-raiser, Affair in the Square, and it will be from 8 to midnight Oct. 9. For many people, it's a don't-miss adventure. For Rankin Thompson, who has been to practically all the Affairs in the center's 10-year history, attendance is nothing less than ``a matter of civic pride.''

And so, the Farrell Ford employee says, is the arts center itself.

Affair in the Square was born in the heady days when Center was just under construction. It began, appropriately enough, as a fashion show the year before the building opened, says Larry Davidson, whose men's clothing business has underwritten every edition of it.

The fashion show was a brainstorm of Sam Bulbin, who formerly operated Samuel Spigel, a women's clothier. It was held in the ballroom of Hotel Roanoke, and sponsored by Spigel, Fink's Jewelers and Davidsons.

The next year, Center's first, Spigel and Davidsons presented a fashion show from the stage of the new Mill Mountain Theatre. Then, the next year, Davidsons took the ball and, with help from the center's steering committee, decided to ``invite the entire community to see the entire building,'' Davidson says.

It's an understatement to call it, and its subsequent editions, a success. By all estimates, the parties have raised some $200,000 for the arts center, which, owing to recession and government cutbacks, needs the money now as much as ever.

The party's capacity of 1,000 visitors has often been approached or met, and invariably it includes familiar faces plus lots of shiny new ones - demonstrating that not all the young people have left Roanoke for bigger places.

Davidson says the reasonable price - $25 per person this year - plus the variety of entertainment and food draws a cross-section of partygoers, from young married people who perhaps can't afford more expensive events to single people looking for a reason to dress up, to the center's stalwart supporters, happy to be mingling with everyday folk.

The party is black-tie optional, and an amazing number of tuxedos turn out for it.

Davidson, who acts as host with other members of his family, is quick to credit other center supporters for the event's success. Restaurateurs and caterers donate food. The musicians, singers and other entertainers perform for free.

``We really could not do this without the community,'' Davidson says. ``There's just about every kind of entertainment, and food and music for just about every taste.''

This year's lineup, still tentative, as usual, up to the last minute, includes some standbys, like the musical parodists, Bad Poetry in Motion, and some newcomers like the Roanoke Chamber Singers, doing Broadway tunes and spirituals, and Star City Jazz, drawn from Stan Kingma's Virginians and featuring vocalist Deborah Liles.

This year's party is expected to have a birthday flavor, but it's not the official 10th anniversary celebration. That will be on the anniversary date of Dec. 5, when an open house is planned.

This is the way the Affair's entertainment lineup looks:

First floor atrium - Deborah Liles and the William Penn Trio, 8-9:15 p.m. Dancing to Star City Jazz from Stan Kingma's Virginians with William Penn Trio, 10 p.m. on.

First floor, Arts Museum of Western Virginia - ``Toon Time.'' Wide screen TV with Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons, plus popcorn from old-fashioned machine.

Second floor, Art Museum of Western Virginia - Mickey Nelson, acoustic folk-rock.

Third floor, Roanoke Valley History Museum - Bill Field, pianist; Frank Romano Trio, oldies and swing music.

Fourth floor, Science Museum of Western Virginia - Bad Poetry in Motion, musical parodies; Deet and Joe, classic rock; Roanoke Chamber Singers, Broadway tunes; Homebrew, bluegrass and folk.

Fifth Floor, Science Museum of Western Virginia - Roanoke Chinese Association presents traditional Chinese birthday party with David White's Shao Lin Dragon and dancer Irene Ju.

Fifth floor lounge - Liz Stone Ensemble.

Rooftop - dancing to progressive and contemporary music from Reflections.

In addition, the Clown Cutups of the American Association of Retired Persons will entertain throughout the building.

Tickets can be obtained at all Davidsons locations, or ordered by calling Davidsons downtown at 343-2441 and from the Mill Mountain Theatre box office at 342-5740.