The secret to a great and enduring love affair applies in equal measure to a sim: keep it passionate, keep it fresh, and keep it growing.

Chances are you’ve noticed a rather significant overhaul underway on all of the SIMs in our region right now. Part of this effort includes letting go of favourite haunts to make way for new ones. (You may have noticed Baron working his sculpty magic to make things more compact and efficient on the SIMs so we can treat you to even more goodies in the new year!)

Baron & I invite you to join us this Saturday, October 27th at 7:30 p.m. SLT for a brief masqued ball in the Opera House on the Intemptesta Nox SIM, after which we’ll be busting out the flame throwers & burning it to the ground in keeping with the fate of the Opera Populaire. Put on your gowns and your tails. This is the first and only ball to be given in the opera house.

Also in keeping with the tradition, we’ll be auctioning off favourite pieces of memorabilia, including the grand staircase and the chandelier, with a portion of the proceeds going to the “Gardens of Hope” project providing food for AIDs orphans in Lesotho, Africa. You will be able to click on an auction display console to enter a silent bid on your favourite items throughout the evening. By 8:30 p.m. SLT, all will be gone.

Drop by throughout the day on Saturday to snap final pictures before it disappears forever. Be sure to post your favourite mugshots here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/operanox/

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you can sign up for one for free there. The best three pictures posted to this group before Monday, October 29th at midnight will garner the winners a brand new Evangeline Baby Grand wooden piano, a loadable song book, and a complete set of all sheet music available from Serendipity Studios, along with our undying “thanks for the memories” ~winks~

We’ll be sharing these pictures on dynamic display that will go up on the new Christmas SIM, Ad Lucem.

Please join us on Saturday night. Arrive early, because we do expect the SIM to fill up quickly. After the masque, Opera Populaire will be gone to make way for a newer venue in 2008. Watch this web site for more information on things to be auctioned off on Saturday evening.

Want to learn more about what inspired the opera house build, or leave us a note to share a few of your own favourite memories there? Click on the "Plug In" link at the bottom the screen and follow the "Backstage at the Theatre" link to the Opera House forums.

Blessings all,
Sue Stonebender.