Submitted by Toby Cooper.

Gay Paresky spoke softly, modulating her tone not out of any pretext of decorum, but because she was speaking from the produce section of Island Market. “Singing on stage is a ‘bucket list’ thing for me,” she said over the market’s piped-in pop tunes. “I have been practicing in the shower, but frankly the acoustics are better in the Olga pool.”

In a couple of short weeks, Paresky’s prep work will be tested in stark, non-modulated detail when Actors Theater of Orcas Island launches “ORCAS SINGS B’WAY!” — a performance-driven fundraising gala featuring Broadway favorites performed on the living stage by a community lineup drawn straight from island neighborhoods, shops and schools.

“The idea has been bubbling in my brain for a year,” said Melinda Milligan, who triples as performer, event director and coach for the one-night-only affair. “Why don’t we do a show where our friends and neighbors can live out their dreams!”

By August, word of the talent call filtered through the community. “Having the courage to put yourself out in front is the only qualification,” she said. “Everyone had their shower favorites. For one, a showstopper from Les Miz. For another, a touching ballad from Fiddler on the Roof.” The enthusiasm has been palpable.

To preserve the surprise element, ATOI is not releasing a playbill. Numbers range from sweet to bawdy. There will be copious tears and contagious laughter, underpinned by a dollop of nostalgia.

“Sure, there are risks,” Milligan said of the home-grown lineup. “But the audience will embrace the courage — the authenticity of sharing something we all love.”

“And don’t get me wrong,” she added, “we also have experienced veterans who will knock your socks off.”

One experienced veteran, Liz Doane, expects to deliver the lead number with “a big voice, grit, and irreverence.” Like Paresky, she used to be shy, but her love of boisterous Broadway tunes helped her find a “dynamic edge” that changed her life. “What’s going on these days requires grit,” she said.

Still, doubts lurk in the shadows. “You have to promise to tell me if I suck,” said one of Milligan’s favorite presenters — who prefers not to be named!

No musical lineup on Orcas is complete without the combined brilliance of Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz. “Broadway is so uniquely American,” Sharon told the Sounder. “I grew up in New York playing my parents’ 78s – you know, Rogers and Hammerstein. They took me to shows. Broadway inspired me when I was too young to know I was being inspired.”

The “ORCAS SINGS B’WAY!” gala comes to life at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at The Grange. Wine, sparkling water, a selection of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and Paula Capitano’s famous cookies will be served. A special thanks to Island Market and Country Corner for a copious wine donation. Tickets are now available at Darvill’s or www.brownpapertickets.com at $45.

Founded by Douglas Bechtel a quarter-century ago, ATOI has delighted islanders and visitors with over 100 community-based productions. For more information, visit them at www.orcasactors.org.