When Chef Daniel Scordato of Vivace Restaurant named his Downtown building Treasury 1929, he wasn’t kidding.

Sitting on the corner of East Congress and Stone Avenue, the magnificent structure will now serve the public as an event space.

Treasury 1929 and Scordato have hosted practice runs and lots of private affairs such as weddings and fundraisers but Scordato is at this moment preparing for the space’s first public event: The Treasury 1929 presents: An Evening of Opera, Broadway & Beyond.

Along with his sister, Patricia Scordato, the pair are planning what promises more than two hours filled with gourmet gastronomy and gourmet entertainment. The event takes place on Friday, May 15, at The Treasury 1929.

He was inspired to design the event by the era of the building.

“Those old days you would go to a show and then dinner,” Scordato said. “Of course everyone wore their top hats and they would have a whole orchestra. … You would have singers. The point is it was like Vegas. You’d have dinner and a show.”

Scordato said his first idea was dinner theatre but it was just too complex.

“When I saw this I thought, Oh my God, it would be perfect to do the same thing but with music,” he said.

He knew he could do dinners but “what can’t you get?” he asked himself. “You can’t get opera singers or classical music in smaller arenas with dinner too.”

The evening begins at 5:45 p.m. when guests step into Treasury 1929. Waiters with trays filled with tidbits will circulate, offering guests an amuse-bouche, just something to whet the appetite. The first concert is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Drawing from opera and Broadway, soprano Kimberly Chaffin and tenor Francisco Rentería, both experienced performers, will entertain. They will be accompanied by Patricia, a decorated concert pianist who studied at the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence and has taught piano for 45 years. She is very careful to say that the selected opera pieces are familiar to everyone.

“When (people) think of opera they think of the big, romantic works by Verde and Puccini,” she said. “One thing Dan told me, if you’re going to get these artists to do opera make sure it’s the more popular artists and more accessible.”

A three-course dinner service at 7 p.m. follows, which Scordato and his team will prepare. A second performance will take place at 8:15 p.m. and the evening concludes at 8:45 p.m.

Constructed in 1929, the building has housed the Consolidated National Bank and the Valley National Bank. The guts such as the wiring and plumbing have been brought up to code but the facade and interior retains all of its original marble, wood and ornate ceiling charm.

Price of a ticket — $130 but includes tax and gratuity — gets guests a choice of one of three salads and desserts (not in that order) and one of four entrees. There is even a vegetarian option. Scordato said the food will be prepped at Vivace but cooked to order in the Treasury 1929’s kitchen.

If this event proves successful, other public events will be planned including wine tastings with appetizers, champagne tastings with oysters and desserts paired with wines and biscotti.

“I’m trying to do things that aren’t done,” he said. “Every bar has great drinks. … so what are we going to do, serve (the public) in golden glassware? We want to offer something other than just drinks.”

There’s also the possibility of a secret space that may soon open Treasury 1929, Scordato said, but it wouldn’t be a secret if he said more. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, both Daniel and Patricia are looking forward to seeing the space being used in such a sophisticated manner.

“I feel blessed that I was able to get (the space),” Daniel said. “I never would have imagined in my whole life that I would be doing something like this. I figured it would take millions of dollars.”

The Treasury 1929 presents: An Evening of Opera, Broadway & Beyond
WHEN: Doors open at 5:45 p.m., the first concert is at 6:30 p.m., dinner service is at 7 p.m. and the final concert begins at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, May 15. The event ends a half hour later.
WHERE: The Treasury 1929, 2 E. Congress Street
COST: $130 a ticket. It includes a 3-course dining experience, two live 30-minute concert performances and all nonalcoholic beverages. Bottles of wine are available for purchase in advance but glasses of wine, beer and craft cocktails will be available for purchase at tableside throughout the evening.
Guests should arrive by 5:45 to order beverages tableside.
Tickets must be purchased online; no tickets will be available at the door.
Guests are encouraged to wear business or cocktail attire.
INFO: dinnerconcerts.thetreasury1929.com/events/14