Step back in time. Dress to the nines. Take a bow onstage. Dance the night away.

On Jan. 31, patrons of the arts will be treated to all that at the Phantom of the Opera Masquerade Ball at the Turnage Theater.

The event is the latest in a series of fundraisers for the Beaufort County Arts Council’s new home at the early 20^th-century theater in downtown Washington, but it’s also a great opportunity to break out the formalwear, don a mask and step into the glamour of a bygone era, according to organizer Jeffrey Phipps.

“In the past — in the previous incarnation of the Turnage — always the first show of the season would be a little dressier… It was just sort of a nice time to dress up and be a little fancy. It was kind of like harkening back to the heyday of the theater, when people did dress up to go to the theater and going to the theater was a special event in people’s lives,” Phipps said.

At the request of many who enjoyed the more dressy Turnage events, Phipps and co-organizers Rebecca Clark and Virginia Finnerty came up with the idea of a Venetian ball, in which the dress is formal and the accessory for the evening is a mask — plain, feathered, jeweled — of the wearer’s choice.

Phipps, who retired last year from his longtime position as East Carolina University’s Professor of Costume Design, found inspiration from the event in a recent trip to the theater in Raleigh.

“The theater space is so beautiful and I had just been to see Phantom of the Opera with the community college,” he said. “We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a party that had aspects of Phantom of the Opera?’”

One of those aspects is the Phantom himself, who will be appearing throughout the night.

“He will be popping up in unexpected places and singing, just like the Phantom,” Phipps said. “So just like in the musical, you never know where he is.”

The phantom could be anywhere — as could guests at the event. Phipps said the theater will be open from the green rooms backstage to the dance floor in the gallery, and those who’ve never seen the theater from the stage are welcome to get some time in the spotlight.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a new, fun experience for a lot of people,” Phipps said, adding that organizers are hoping to turn the inaugural ball into a yearly occurance.

“We are hoping that this will become an annual event — that this will be a way for people to come out and be a part of the arts council and be able to experience every inch of the Turnage Theater, backstage and the house itself,” Phipps said. “We’re hoping the more people get involved in this, the greater the support, down through the years, will become.”

Tickets for the Phantom of the Opera Masquerade Ball are $50 for a single ticket and $90 per couple, which includes a dinner buffet, a complimentary glass of champagne and a cash bar. Advance tickets are required. Tickets are available at the Turnage Theater, 150 W. Main St., Washington, and Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 W. Main St. For more information, call 252-946-2504.