Booray for Bollywood!

Fountain Hills Theater is hosting “A Night of Bollywood” as its annual Broadway in the Hills fundraiser. The event is set for Saturday, Feb. 16. Guests will feel transported to the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) for an evening of exotic fun and adventure.

Bollywood, the “capitol” of the Hindi film industry, rivals Hollywood with its film industry, producing 1,600 new movies a year with $1.3 billion in revenues from the 3.6 billion in ticket sales.

Bollywood films are rife with music and dancing, which prompted theater organizers to utilize the theme for the Broadway in the Hills event.

“We think this will be a really fun event for everyone,” said interim Executive Director Sandi McGee. “We are encouraging people to dress in the Bollywood theme, but evening casual is certainly acceptable.”

The evening will feature a professional Bollywood dance troupe, as well as an aerialist. McGee said there will be audience participation and a special surprise for the evening.

She said Bollywood-style dancing include a significant amount of neck and head movements, as well as facial expressions, feet placement and hand movements.

“For example, dancers will use hand gestures and other symbols to tell a cultural story,” she said.

She added that the dance costumes are essential to completing Bollywood dance routines and rhythms.

“Traditional Bollywood dancers are commonly seen wearing bells around the ankle,” she said. “The bells must be used in sync with the music in order to be used correctly.”

Scarves will be available for sale for those who wish to create a Bollywood look for those who wish to make a dress statement and for those who wish to enhance their costumes. An artist will provide henna tattoos. A silent auction will be offered during the early evening. Nearly 100 items will be featured.

One of the night’s highlights will be the announcement of the 2019-20 season.

A buffet dinner will offer Asian cuisine tempered toward American taste buds. DJ Isaac will play music for dancing.

The “Night of Bollywood” will be held at WeKoPa Resort and Conference Center starting at 5:30 p.m. Valet parking from the casino will be available, along with shuttles from the conference center parking lot for those who desire the service.

Tickets for the gala are available now. They can be purchased online at fhtaz.org for $125. A portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible.