Natchez Opera Festival will open its annual fund-raising campaign at 7 p.m. Thursday with an evening of music and entertainment at the Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center on Homochitto Street.

&uot;It’s an evening of appreciation and celebration,&uot; said Dr. David Blackburn, general director of the May music event since its founding in 1990.

&uot;This will be a thank-you to all the many people who have helped already in the restoration of Margaret Martin and a celebration to announce the 2001 opera season,&uot; he said.

The gala evening also will celebrate the return to Natchez of the renowned baritone Robert McFarland, who has performed in Natchez for three of the past opera seasons, including the first.

The &uot;Evening on Stage with Robert McFarland&uot; will begin on the stage at Margaret Martin, Blackburn said.

There will be door prizes and a silent auction of travel and dining packages, also.

Tickets are $35 per person and will be available at the door. In advance the tickets are on sale at Brown-Barnett Dixon’s on Main Street.

&uot;We want people when they arrive to come right up on stage, where we’ll have food and drink and show some of the sets we’ve used through the years,&uot; he said.

&uot;Then people will drift down into the seating area and Robert will perform about 8 o’clock.&uot;

The McFarland presentation will be a varied one, including popular music as well as operatic numbers.

Accompanist will be Dr. Lynn Keisker, coordinator of opera at Louisiana State University and an assistant director for the Natchez festival season.

McFarland, a renowned baritone who has sung in numerous opera houses throughout the United States as well as Europe, will come to Natchez from Austin, Texas, where he has sung a leading role in Madama Butterfly with the Austin Opera.

&uot;His concert on Thursday is a gift to the Natchez Opera,&uot; Blackburn said. &uot;He is doing this for us at no charge.&uot;

All proceeds from the event will go to continuing restoration efforts at Margaret Martin.

&uot;The opera season is one thing; the hall is entirely another thing,&uot; Blackburn said.

&uot;There is so much to do there, and we want it to be a wonderful place where wonderful things can happen.&uot;

Restoring the building and creating an excellent performing arts center will take many people working together, he said.

&uot;We’re combing the country for grants,&uot; he said. We know Natchez can’t do it alone, but we do want as much community involvement as we can get.&uot;

The gala is open to everyone, he said, adding that he especially would like to have people come who have never been involved in opera activities.

&uot;We have a wonderful group of programs for May 2001,&uot; he said.

They include La Boheme, Carmen, H.M.S. Pinafore and a recreation of the Natchez appearance of Jenny Lind in 1851.