How Can I Make an Old Gymnasium Look Like a 1940's Piano Bar?
If you want to throw a 1940s piano bar themed party, channel your inner Humphrey Bogart and turn your old gymnasium into Rick's Bar from the classic movie, "Casablanca." Include details from the movie and the era to make your 1940s piano bar sizzle.
Setup
Drape your walls with white fabric to hide the gym walls. Roll out tarps to cover the floor; this will protect them from scuffing from non-athletic shoes and also cover up the telltale basketball lines on the floor.
Place small circular tables around the room and drape them with white sheets or tablecloths. Add three to four chairs at each one. Place a candle or lantern in the center of each table, and add a chess board or a deck of playing cards to every two or three tables around the room.
Set up a banquet table for food and cover it with table cloths in rich blues, reds, or golds. This will evoke the Moroccan feel of the film, "Casablanca," which stands as an icon of the 1940s era.
Make your own "Rick's Bar" sign to hang over the doorway if you really want to evoke a "Casablanca" theme, or simply let it be a traditional 1940s piano bar without being specific to the movie. You could even call it after your own name instead.
Music
You will need a piano somewhere in the room, preferably with someone who can play it. Ask your piano player to play hits from the 1940s, including songs from "Casablanca" like the classic, "As Time Goes By."
If you don't have a piano player, or if he won't be playing all night, prepare a '40s soundtrack for the background music. Include hits by Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. Include some peppy swing tracks for dancing. You could even hire a swing band to play; set them up with a stage and some old-fashioned microphones to croon into.
Make room in the center of the gym for a dance floor. Let your guests swing the night away to the music you play or the music of the piano. Hire professional swing dancers to show the guests some dance steps if you have the budget and time for it.
Dinner and Dress
If you plan to serve refreshments at your party, cocktails are a must. After all, you are trying to re-create a piano bar. Serve gin-based cocktails like Gin and Tonics or Tom Collinses. Classic martinis with olives will also set the scene. If your party is for underage guests, serve mocktails instead, using sodas and syrups to concoct your beverages.
Add hors d'ouvres and finger foods to your buffet table; make them with a spicy Moroccan flare to remind guests of the film setting, or simply serve classic American favorites like meat balls or puff pastries.
Invite your guests to wear period dress to the party; this will add to the atmosphere and make your gym truly feel like a step back in time. Men can wear fedora hats and trench coats, or white dress coats with black bow ties. Women can dress in pencil skirts and tied blouses or swingy skirts and finger-waved hair. Feather boas and cigars can be the choice accessories of the night.
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