All productions for the upcoming season will be held at Kuss Auditorium in downtown Springfield. For more information, including a full schedule, sponsor list and ticket sales, contact the Clark State Performing Arts Center at 937- 328-3874 or at pac.clarkstate.edu.
A new Community Arts Series has been added to the 2014-2015 season at Springfield’s Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center.
The new arts calendar promises a wide variety of entertainment options including a Club Kuss Series, Country Artist Series and two student productions. In addition, the new offering, sponsored by Security National Bank and Kapp Construction, will feature six artists from around the world.
Now in its 21st year, regulars look forward to heading to the 1,500 seat Kuss Auditorium for all sorts of entertainment.
Melonya Cook of Troy says she and her boyfriend had such a great time at the Phillip Phillips concert that she got tickets to come back later that week to see country singer Gretchen Wilson with her daughter.
“I love to see big name artists at Clark State, it feels really intimate compared to other venues in our area,” Cook says.
Jill Stroupe of Springfield has been a ticket holder for years, along with her husband and mother.
“We have never been disappointed with a show,” Stroupe says. “We are so fortunate to have the beautiful Kuss Auditorium in our back yard so we don’t have to travel to see such a diverse offering of performances.”
Here’s a rundown of what Cook, Stroupe and other patrons can expect this season:
THE COMMUNITY ARTS SERIES
- In their fourth decade of entertaining Three Dog Night invites audiences to sing and dance along at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19. Expect hits including "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)," "Joy to The World," "Black and White," "Shambala" and "Celebrate."
- A show featuring hits from legends Billy Joel and Elton John is slated for 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. You'll be taken back to the 1970's with Jim Witter's multimedia rock musical, "The Piano Man II".
- Slated for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 is a family-friendly production entitled "Mindboggling," a production mixing humor and special effects created by Andy Gross, illusionist, ventriloquist and comedian.
- The dancers of Complexions Contemporary Ballet will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. The troupe mixes classical, modern and contemporary dance.
- The highly acclaimed Central State University Choir takes the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb.6. Under the direction of Jeremy Scott, these gifted vocalists are admired locally blend African American spiritual, gospel and jazz. They have performed with legends like Stevie Wonder, toured in Europe and recorded with Bill Cosby and Arsenio Hall.
- Rhythm of the Dance will transport patrons to Ireland at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. With a live band, three handsome tenors and over 20 dancers, the group celebrates Irish dance with music, costumes, scenery.
CLUB KUSS SERIES
The focus of Clark State’s Club Kuss Series is on new artists who show off diverse artistic style. The series is sponsored by Plato and Tina Pavlatos.
- Run Boy Run, an all-acoustic band from Tucson, blends bluegrass, folk and old-timey Americana with touches of classical and jazz. The group, which features strong female vocals, kicks off this series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10. Instruments include two fiddles, a mandolin, cello and bass.
- Jake Shimabukuro has turned the ukulele into a musical phenomenon after landing the spotlight in 2006 when his rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" went viral on YouTube. He'll take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.
- Entertaining audiences around the world, The Annie Moses Band is slated for 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. The band's mixes classical, jazz and country. All of the members studied at Julliard and have performed at Carnegie Hall and The Grand Old Opry.
- Annie Selleck channels legends like Judy Garland and Anita O'Day. A native of Nashville, she's made six tours to Japan, performed in Germany and has dropped four albums on her own label, Chalic Music, Inc. She'll perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9.
- The series concludes with Joshua Carswell at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. This artist began singing at the age of three and brings a diverse collection of Duke Ellington jazz, Hank Williams classics and pop originals with European influences to the stage.
COUNTRY ARTISTS SERIES
Three country music legends are featured this year in a series sponsored by Jeff Wyler Chevrolet.
Wynonna Judd, along with her band, The Big Noise, will bring a "Simpler Christmas" to Springfield at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
A surprise artist will perform in January and announced at a later date. Closing the series is Neal McCoy performing hits like, "No Doubt About It" and "Wink." With three platinum albums and one gold album, McCoy will come to the PAC at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.
CLARK STATE THEATRE ARTS PROGRAM
Students will entertain the crowds in two theatrical productions staged in the Center’s Turner Studio Theatre.
The Foreigner by Larry Shue is slated for 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, 8, 14 and 15 and at 3 p.m. on Nov. 9 and 16. The comedy, which will be directed by Lisa Howard-Welch, is set in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by "Froggy" LeSeuer, a British demolition expert.
Wild Honey, billed as a comedy of lust and love, is set in southern Russia and will be performed on April 10-12 and 17-19, with show-times at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. The play was adapted by Michael Frayn from an original play by Anton Chekhov and will be directed by Theresa Lauricella.
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