By Emily Dupuis
Staff Writer

A jazz legend plans to perform on campus Saturday to raise money to renovate the Garret Theatre.

Chuck Mangione is scheduled to give two performances at 3 and 8 p.m. in the Rigas Family Theater, located in The Quick Center for the Arts, said Michael Hill, director of the center.

Garret Theatre, located in Devereux Hall, serves as the primary rehearsal spot for students in the Garret Theatre Players, the Legacy Dance Company and other theater troupes, Hill said. The theater suffers from outdated wiring, an uneven stage and holes in the floors of dressing room space, Hill said.

Due to the contributions of an anonymous donor, the center has lowered ticket prices for members of the university community, Hill said. Costs dropped from $50 to $25 for the afternoon performance and from $125 to $50 for the evening performance. Prices remain unchanged for those outside of the university. Audience members can receive a tax write-off of $15 for the afternoon performance and $90 for the evening.

The original ticket prices had to cover Mangione's contract costs, but the donation allows all proceeds to go to the Garret Theatre renovations, Hill said.

Proceeds from Mangione's concert will go towards revamping theater space, making it more suitable for students, Hill said.

Because of a lack of money available in the university budget, the benefit was necessary to cover Garret Theatre's renovations, Hill said.

Roger Sorochty, vice president for university advancement, said he did not know how much the renovations will cost.

The university did not include Garret Theatre fixes in the budget for renovating Devereux over the summer because that money was specifically dedicated to improving residence life, Sorochty said.

Mangione, a Rochester native, also plans to give a class for university students prior to his benefit concerts. A reception will be held following the evening performance.

Mangione lacks a direct relationship to the university, but was contacted to perform here indirectly through Sorochty. "It was one of those a friend of a friend of a friend scenarios," Hill said.

"It also brings us notoriety by having someone of his caliber on our campus," he said.

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