Jupiter, FL - (January 30, 2008) -The Maltz Jupiter Theatre recently held its annual gala celebrating five amazing seasons!  The sold-out event raised a record of $420,000, a 300% increase over the prior year's gala! The fundraiser, attended by over 350 supporters, was held on January 17th at Admiral's Cove Country Club.

Chaired by Roberta Golub, the gala honored the extraordinary achievements of Broadway producer and theatre board member, Rodger Hess and his wife Betty. Among the Hess' significant contributions to the theatre over the past few years are the on-site professional rehearsal hall and the financial enhancement of the Carbonell Award winning play, The Tin Pan Alley Rag.

The theme for the celebration, Smokey Joe's Café, was based on the theatre's current hit production. The clubhouse at Admirals Cove was beautifully transformed to resemble a blues and jazz club. Highlighting the evening was a special performance by the students of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's Conservatory of the Performing Arts (COPA) and a beautiful video tribute honoring Betty and Rodger Hess.

The record breaking $420,000 was raised through corporate and individual sponsorship, an auction and tickets sales.  The auction was generously supported by over 160 local businesses including Tiffany & Co., Montblanc, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Garden's Mall, The Jupiter Ritz Carlton Club and Spa, Florida Power and Light, the Golden Anvil, Studio E Gallery, Joseph's Classic Market, PGA National Resort and Spa, the Kitchen Strand and Joe and Loreen Farish.

"The credit goes to Robert Golub whose vision brought our Gala to a new level.  As the Gala Chairman she did an amazing job inspiring and motivating her forty-two committee members to create an outstanding event that was so much fun.  Our theatre and community will really benefit from the success of this fundraiser," said Tricia Trimble, Director of Development.

Roberta and Harvey Golub were the Grand Benefactor Sponsors and JPMorgan Private Bank, Jane F. Napier, Diane and Jim Perrella were the VIP Sponsors.  "Zoom" Fleischer, Betty and Rodger Hess, Joan and Alan Safir, Bonnie and Tom Strauss were the Platinum Sponsors and over twenty-five others were Gold and Silver Sponsors.

Grand auction chairmen were Bel Miller and Leslie Sacks; silent auction chairman was Pattie Light; and the event chairmen were Irene Goodkind and Leslie Sacks. The money raised will benefit all of the programs and productions at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, a nonprofit 501c(3) professional regional theatre dedicated to the performing arts whose mission is to entertain, educate and inspire our community.

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre opened in February 2004 as a 550-seat, nonprofit community-based regional theater in the former Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre. The Maltz Jupiter Theatre is located at 1001 E. Indiantown Road and State Road A1A.