Be on your toes for this party. On Friday, April 13th, 2007, The Buccini / Pollin Group will present Delaware Theatre Company’s 21st Annual Barefoot Ball at the Chase Center on the Riverfront from 6pm to 10pm. The event will have live music by Chorduroy, dancing and some of the finest food, microbrews and spirits in Delaware (or any other state for that matter). Tickets to DTC’s 21st Annual Barefoot Ball, presented by The Buccini / Pollin Group, are $45 in advance, and $55 the day of the event. Guests must be 21 years of age or older. Tickets are available through the DTC Box Office at 302.594.1100, or online at www.delawaretheatre.org. (Internet sales will not be available the day of the event.)

Over the last 21 years, the Barefoot Ball has become a Delaware tradition. “Each year the young professional crowd loyally awaits the unofficial kick-off of the summer party that is the Barefoot Ball,” says event chair, Dan Cruce. “This terrific fan base, combined with the great influx of new Downtown Wilmington residents, is sure to make our 21st Annual Barefoot Ball the hottest ticket in town.”

While the “fan base” knows the Barefoot Ball, there are still some who may not be familiar with the event. As a way to reach new partygoers, DTC has created a MySpace page – www.myspace.com/dtcbarefootball – in addition to its usual marketing efforts. MySpace has reported more than 55 million users, with 28.4 percent under 34. “MySpace is the new ‘word of mouth,’ as seen by Dane Cook’s success,” says Amy Watson Bish, DTC’s Director of Marketing and Communications. Dane Cook became a stadium-selling touring comedian by building his audience base through MySpace. His MySpace account currently boasts 1,837,966 fans. “While we can only wish for a friend list as large as his, it’s just a creative way for us to reach a larger young professional audience.”

Barefoot Ball guests will enjoy unlimited microbrew samples and food tastings from renowned vendors, including Catherine Rooney’s, C.R. Hooligans, Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina, Conley Ward’s Steakhouse, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Eeffoc’s, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Harry's Seafood Grill, Home Grown Café, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Lapp's Kitchen, Mikimotos Asian Grill & Sushi Bar, Presto! Gourmet, Shaggy’s on Main, Timothy's on the Riverfront, Twin Lakes Brewery, and Washington Street Ale House.

What could make the Barefoot Ball more exciting? One lucky person will win a 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise for two to Bermuda! The trip is the grand prize in DTC’s raffle, along with a second prize of two season subscriptions to DTC’s 2007-2008 season and $475 in restaurant gift certificates, and a third prize of a Blue Rocks skybox for 16 people and a $50 gift certificate redeemable to either Deer Park Tavern or McGlynn’s Pub. Raffle tickets are one for $10 or three for $20, and are on sale now through the night of the event. The drawing will occur at 9:00pm at the Barefoot Ball on Friday, April 13, however one does not need to be present to win.

The Barefoot Ball is presented by The Buccini / Pollin Group, with major support provided by Bank of America, Meetings by Design and Standard Distributing Company, and additional support provided by AAA Mid-Atlantic, CityLife Wilmington, Out & About, Sir Speedy of Wilmington and Special Occasions.

For more information or to purchase tickets to DTC’s 21st Annual Barefoot Ball, contact the DTC Box Office at (302) 594-1100 or visit our website: www.delawaretheatre.org.

Also check out the Barefoot Ball on MySpace: www.myspace.com/dtcbarefootball

Delaware Theatre Company’s 2006-2007 season is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. Artist housing provided by Pettinaro Relocation. Artist transportation provided by Amtrak. AAA Mid-Atlantic is the official Insurance Company and Travel Agency of DTC. Programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to promoting and supporting the arts in Delaware. The Delaware Division of the Arts provides technical and financial assistance to artists and arts programs and serves as a clearinghouse for information on the arts.

Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware's largest professional theatre, is located at 200 Water Street, on Wilmington’s exciting Riverfront. Delaware Theatre Company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, the Wilmington Arts Coalition, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.