After eight dramatic seasons, the CW original series “One Tree Hill” will premiere its ninth and final season in January 2012. As a way for the cast and fans to say goodbye and close out the OTH series, the show’s executive producers decided to hold “An Evening With One Tree Hill” Oct. 30 in Beckwith Recital Hall.

The event that sold out in the first five minutes of sales included show creator and executive producer Mark Schwahn, executive producer Joe Davola and cast members from the current season including James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Galeotti and Sofia Bush. Due to the high demand in tickets and lack of space in Beckwith Recital Hall, Lumina screened a live feed from the event to the theater where fans could still watch the event take place.

There were 100 tickets available for the public for $50 at the main event along with 75 tickets for UNCW Cultural Arts students for $10.

“It took about two months (to organize), there’s a lot of planning with everyone, from the university to the administration, to the music department, to the theater department who were all very helpful and there was a lot of planning, a lot of meetings, and it was a pretty major production,” Co-Producer Steve Goldfried said.

“An Evening With One Tree Hill” kicked off the event with a special dance by 10-year-old Jackson Brundage dressed up in a red body suit and afro. ¬¬¬¬¬As cast members walked out onto the stage the UNCW band played the OTH theme song, “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin Degraw as fans erupted in a mess of screams and applause. An interview with the cast, behind the scenes and sneak peek video clips, and an audience Q&A made up the event.

“I came up with the idea, it was inspired by Joe Davola, our executive producer,” Goldfried said. “(Joe) is our marketing genius and my mentor, it was sort of the idea to kind of get everyone together in the same room at the same time because we are such an ensemble cast it is very rare that everybody is actually in the same room together even when we are working. We also just wanted to give back to the fans and the city of Wilmington.”

 Goldfried, who started out as an unpaid intern at Tollin/Robbins, the production company which originally filmed OTH, is now working as a co-producer and director. His first and only episode thus far premiered in season eight.

“I was sent out season one from Los Angeles to North Carolina to be a production assistant and shoot behind the scenes footage,” Goldfried said. “I’ve always wanted to do directing and I sort of fell into producing because Joe is so good at it and has been able to properly teach me how to do it. I got to direct an episode last season and that was the highlight of my career.”

The show has been a huge success and with the show coming to an end, “An Evening With One Tree Hill” was the perfect way to say goodbye. After the final audience Q&A a preview of season nine with multiple action packed scenes was shown and as the screen went dark and cast members began to exit the stage. Fans gave the cast and crew a standing ovation for their great work over the years. Fans left Beckwith Recital Hall with conflicting emotions, feeling both excited for the new season and remorse for the end of a show that they have followed for nine years.

“I just go back to what Mark [Schwahn] said in one of the video clips, this doesn’t have to be the biggest show in the world he just wants to make someone’s favorite show,” Goldfried said. “I think it will be remembered as something that people got a lot of joy out of.”