CCC&TI’s J.E. Broyhill Civic Center Announces 200910 Showcase of Stars Lineup and Lower Ticket Prices
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s J.E. Broyhill Civic Center has announced the line‐up for its 2009‐2010 season which features music, comedy and other family friendly acts. In addition, ticket prices have been reduced for the upcoming season to bring you the best entertainment at affordable prices.
Along with lower ticket prices, several other changes have been made to ticket options for the 2009‐2010 Showcase of Stars. All seats will now be the same price and all events will have reserved seating. Subscriptions are available for the season, which now features a “Pick 4” series in which subscribers get reduced rates for four of their favorite shows or choose from the “Classic,” “Comedy,” “Bluegrass,” or “CCC&TI Performing Artist” Series and receive the season subscriber discount. With a season subscription, any additional tickets may be purchased at the season subscriber rate. Individual tickets will go on sale August 1.
The line‐up for the season features several well‐known acts and kicks off with an exciting night of music with the Coasters, Platters, and Marvelettes on Thursday, September 17, at 7:30 pm. Experience rock and roll history as these legends perform an evening full of hits. The Platters are one of the top 25 best‐selling artists of all time and have had 14 top 20 hits, including “The Great Pretender,” “Only You” and “Twilight Time.” Cornell Gunter’s Coasters are known for such hits as “Poison Ivy,” “Charlie Brown” and “Yakety Yak.” Cornell Gunter’s Coasters will make you laugh and reminisce. The Marvelettes were Motown’s first group to have a #1 song on Billboard with the hit “Please Mr. Postman.” A string of other hits followed, including “Beechwood 4‐5789” and “Don’t Mess with Bill.” Sit back for an unforgettable evening of classic R&B by three of the greatest internationally renowned vocal groups of all time ‐ all on one stage!
Kicking off the Bluegrass Series will be fan favorite Mountain Heart with Tony Rice on Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 pm. Mountain Heart has been revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played since its creation in 1998. Widely known for constantly redefining the cutting edge, the band has gained legions of fans, both as a result of superlative musicianship and incomparably exciting live performances. Tony Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from straight‐ahead bluegrass to jazz‐influenced new acoustic music to songwriter‐oriented folk. He is perhaps the greatest innovator in acoustic flat‐ picked guitar since Clarence White.
Up next in the Showcase of Stars line‐up is high‐energy music and dance show “Barrage” on Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 pm. Barrage’s new show “Animado!” offers up a diverse fusion of culture, musical styles and incredible performance vitality. Barrage continues to evolve combining contemporary world music and dance influences, layered vocal arrangements and pulsating modern beats and rhythms. “Animado!” pulls its influence from the music and dance styles of “Old World” Europe, Spanish, Celtic, Italian, French, Russian and Norwegian influences. “Animado” means lively in Spanish and the Barrage cast delivers the new show with amazing energy, vitality and musical virtuosity that is sure to take your breath away. Kicking off the Civic Center’s Comedy Series with a bang will be nationally known comedian John Pinette on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 pm. When asked to describe his stand‐up, John Pinette said, “I talk about my life. It is the funniest thing I can think of. For some reason, people enjoy seeing me lose my cherub‐like demeanor.” John Pinette has been entertaining audiences around the world in a variety of ways for over 15 years, but it is making people laugh that John enjoys most of all. He was named Stand‐Up Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards in 1999 and has received a Gemini Award nomination for his superb televised performance at The Montreal Comedy Festival in 2000.
The 2009‐2010 Performing Artist Series will begin with Civic Center staple, Dr. Elliot Engel, presenting “Sir Walter Raleigh ‐ Renaissance Man” on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30. Popular lecturer Dr. Engel reveals the fascinating life of this author‐explorer‐courtier who deserves to be celebrated for far more than his muddy cape.
Pop Ferguson/Robin Rogers will have the Civic Center swinging on Saturday, November 13 at 7:30 pm. Pop (Clyde Sr.) Ferguson has been playing guitar for nearly 70 years! A native of Wilkes County, Pop developed a unique approach that reflects Appalachian and Piedmont roots with a foundation of pure, deep Blues. Close your eyes, and you know you are in a room with blind Boy Fuller and John Lee Hocker. Pop can also lay down a righteous Chicago Blues ala Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf. Joining Pop, will be Robin Rogers, who has been nominated for Best Female Artist at the 2009 Blues Blast Music Awards. Music has been Robin Rogers' consuming passion ever since her days as a teenaged street singer. Possessing a deeply expressive and soulful voice and an infectious enthusiasm for the blues, Robin and her band have developed a devoted and growing following.
Next up in the Bluegrass Series will be the musical stylings of Dailey & Vincent on Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 pm. Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent became the most heralded new act in bluegrass as their debut album, “Dailey & Vincent” (2008), and busy tour schedule introduced them to wildly appreciative audiences. The group took home seven awards at the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year.
The Civic Center will bring back James Gregory: “The Funniest Man in America!” on Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 pm. Almost always a sell‐out at the Civic Center, James Gregory has been performing home‐spun comedy to sold‐out crowds for over 25 years. Delivering common‐sense wisdom, old‐fashioned values and politically incorrect humor, Gregory is known for inspiring fanatic devotion, whether it’s the first or fifteenth time you’ve seen him. Refusing the vulgar and profane, Gregory instead relies on a wry sense of the absurd, a southern accent and universal story‐telling, often drawn from his own life, to create an evening of non‐stop laughter. The ridiculous, the common, and sometimes even the simplest events all become hilarious in the hands of this master storyteller and world‐ class comedian. Gregory’s broad appeal to audiences of diverse ages and backgrounds has led to a remarkable list of achievements and distinctions.
Rounding out the Bluegrass Series will be veterans Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys on Saturday, February 27 at 7:30 pm. Having performed on more than 170 records, Ralph Stanley is a revered mountain music legend. Some people consider him to be the founding father of modern bluegrass. He brings his unique claw hammer style of banjo playing and his ever‐popular fellow musicians The Clinch Mountain Boys. The group continues to be popular at bluegrass festivals and has grown to be one of the most respected outfits in bluegrass. Stanley has performed on the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack. Today, the Clinch Mountain Boys include Ralph’s son, Ralph Stanley II, and his oldest grandson, Nathan Stanley, age 16.
The comedy series will end on a high‐note with Hickory’s own Jon Reep: The “HEMI Guy” on Friday, March 5 at 7:30 pm. Hickory, NC native Jon Reep beat out thousands of comedians to be voted, by the public, as NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Jon is also well known as the Dodge HEMI guy, asking “That thing got a HEMI?” in eight national Dodge commercials. He has most recently appeared in the hilarious feature film, “Harold and Kumar Escape to Guantanamo Bay.” He co‐starred on the ABC sitcom “Rodney” as Officer Gerald Bob opposite Rodney Carrington and has made appearances on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and his own half hour “Comedy Central Presents Jon Reep” special. He’s been seen on TBS’ “Pit Stop Comedy” and NBC’s “Late Friday.”
The ever‐popular Caldwell Traditional Musicians Showcase will bring the best of local talent to the Civic Center stage on Saturday, March 6 at 7:30 pm. The Caldwell Traditional Musicians Showcase will celebrate its 12th year in 2010 with a gathering of some of Caldwell County’s finest musicians. Local favorites Strictly Clean and Decent will once again pull together some of the best acoustic musicians and singer/ songwriters in our area for a night of down home entertainment.
Also in March, the Civic Center will welcome living legend Ronnie Milsap with “An Evening with Ronnie Milsap & His Piano,” set for Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 pm. Ronnie Milsap, an American country music singer and musician, was one of the most popular and influential artists in the 1970s and 1980s. He became country music’s first blind superstar. He was also one of the most successful country crossover singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop markets. Milsap’s biggest crossover hits include “It Was Almost Like a Song,” “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me,” “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World,” “Any Day Now,” and “Stranger in My House,” among others. He is credited with 40 number one hits in country music, third to George Strait and Conway Twitty.
Rounding out the Performing Artist Series with a night of toe‐tapping fun will be Southern Fried Jazz Band on Friday, April 23 at 7:30 pm. For kids and grown‐ups alike, each performance of the Southern Fried Jazz Band evolves into an experience to be remembered long after it has left the stage. The show blends music with narration and personal anecdotes into a seamless history lesson of jazz in America. Instruments are accented with vocals and stirred with lots of seasoning and spontaneity into a tasty recipe that never fails to “WOW” its audience. These ingredients have launched them from the foothills of North Carolina into the national spotlight in short order.
For additional information on this year’s Showcase performances, visit the Civic Center website at www.broyhillcenter.com or call the box office at 828‐726‐2407.
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