April 27, 2005
INFORMATION: John McElwain or John Green, (661) 362-3494 or 3684
Board Approves Vital Express Center Performance Offers
The Santa Clarita Community College District/College of the Canyons Board of Trustees approved, Wednesday night, the 2005-2006 season of commercial entertainment (COC Presents) offers for the Vital Express Center for the Performing Arts on the College of the Canyons Campus.
Pending acceptance of offers by the artists, the COC Presents season will include eleven engagements. The entire body of programming offered at the Vital Express Center includes COC Presents, The Best of COC - college theatre, music and dance performances, and Santa Clarita Presents - community group performances presented through the City of Santa Clarita. This range of programming will provide a wide variety of opportunities for the community to experience diverse performance genres, create opportunities for cross cultural understanding and enhance interaction between students, faculty and arts professionals. It is hoped that several of the COC Presents performers will also conduct master classes and pre/post event discussion opportunities.
More information relating to the COC Presents and Best of COC season will be released in the upcoming weeks. This includes final ticket pricing, series packages as well as specific opportunities for business and individual underwriting and sponsorship of performances. Approval by the Board of Trustees allows the college and the College of the Canyons Foundation - the fundraising arm of the college - to move forward on those issues.
The approved offers include:
Friday, September 16 - The Temptations
The Temptations helped define the 1960s and have excelled as recording and performing artists, playing to sold-out performances throughout the world for more than forty years.
Saturday, October 1 - Hank and my Honky Tonk Heroes
Enjoy the award-winning sounds of country music legend, Hank Williams, as performed by Obie Award winner, Jason Petty. Petty takes audiences back to the beginnings of country music and pays homage to other country legends such as: Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Webb Pierce, George Jones, and more.
Sunday, November 6 - Bob Berky In Concert
Berky provides audiences with physical comedy, eccentric characters and deep belly laughs. He is a master craftsman of comedy for all ages.
Saturday, December 31 - Sha Na Na
Who says there is “nothing to do in Santa Clarita on New Year’s Eve?” This year, Sha Na Na brings its unique performance style and audience participation show to the Vital Express Center and guarantees rock ‘n’ roll fun for the whole family.
Saturday, January 28 - David Sanborn
Multiple Grammy Award winner, David Sanborn, is described as one of pop’s premier saxophonists and “as one of the most consistent American musicians working today.... with a sound that resonates throughout all genres.
Saturday, February 11 - Marcus Belgrave in “The Louis Armstrong Tradition”
Marcus Belgrave is joined by an incredible 8-piece band in a show that is a loving and convincing tribute to Louis Armstrong. This performance caps the day-long RK Downs Jazz Festival featuring local high-school and college jazz bands in the Center.
Tuesday, February 14 - In Love with Gershwin
Back by popular demand, the cast of last season’s “Best of Broadway” returns in a new show featuring the music of George Gershwin. These performers have played from Carnegie Hall to the White House and their song stylings are sure to be Valentines Day highlight!
Saturday, March 4 - Soweto Gospel Choir
This awe-inspiring choir performs in eight different languages in an inspirational program of tribal, traditional and popular African gospel. Their debut CD, “Voices From Heaven,” reached number 1 on Billboard’s World Music Chart within three weeks of its US release, debuting at number 3.
Saturday, March 25 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Winwood Productions presents this zany musical as it follows the mad-cap adventures of ‘20s chorus girl Lorelei Lee as she sails to Paris on an ocean liner, a role made famous on Broadway by Carol Channing.
Saturday, April 22 - Capitol Steps
This troupe of ex-Congressional staffers has made a living satirizing the inside-the-beltway crowd for nearly 25 years. They have been featured on all major news networks and have recorded 23 albums. You won’t want to miss this witty take on the two-party system.
Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21 - ODC/San Francisco - Two Programs: Velveteen Rabbit and a Mixed Repertory Program.
ODC/San Francisco brings two program of dance to Santa Clarita. The first is a Mixed Repertory evening featuring a new work “On a Train Headed South” based on the melting of the polar ice cap and the second program is two performances of Velveteen Rabbit which will include performances by members of the Santa Clarita Ballet School.
In keeping with the goal of making programming more available to the community, the College is planning to reduce ticket prices for many engagements. While each engagement will have a different price range based on budget considerations, ticket price ranges planned for engagements include $ 10 - $ 15, $ 25 - $ 50 and $ 45 - $ 75.
The college will continue to develop its academic schedule, to include at least two theatre performances on the main stage, instrumental music, choral music and dance on the main stage, as well as with the City of Santa Clarita for additional community performances.
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