News release
Public Information Office
SLU 10880 Hammond,
LA 70402 phone:
985-549-2341 fax:
985-549-2061publicinfo@selu.edu
www.selu.edu/news
Contact: Christina Chapple
Date: 12/6/02
| ‘VARIETY’ MARKS COLUMBIA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’
2003 SEASON
HAMMOND -- From its earliest days as a vaudeville theater and movie house, “variety” has been a hallmark of the Columbia Theatre. Now restored as a premier performing arts facility and launching its second season in downtown Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts is staying true to its tradition. A popular New Orleans pop-rock trio; the energetic dazzle of percussion dance; gospel, folk and bluegrass legends; a symphonic salute to Louisiana history; a unique pianist; funny and flamboyant musical comedy – the Columbia’s 2003 season has something for everyone. "Our second season is sure to be as exciting as our first, and even more diverse. The 2003 season is so diverse in tastes that we’re calling it ‘Variety!’,” said Columbia Artistic Director Donna Gay Anderson. “The season is not diverse in quality, however. Every event we are presenting is of the highest caliber in its genre. We are excited about the well rounded flavor of offerings which are sure to draw loyal arts patrons as well as those who have never set foot in a theatre." Anderson said season tickets for the 2003 season will be on sale December 16-20 at the Columbia Theatre box office, located in the theater’s lobby at 220 E. Thomas Street. Individual event tickets will be available beginning January 13 at the box office and on line through TicketWeb, www.ticketweb.com. The box office will be open from noon to 5 p.m. five days before each performance. Season tickets are not available online. Anderson said the 2003 “Variety!” season boasts a special “extra.” The popular band Better Than Ezra plans a concert at 7:30 p.m. on January 30. Columbia patrons can choose to purchase season tickets with or without the concert, Anderson said. Season tickets without the Better Than Ezra concert are $260, Orchestra 1; $235, Orchestra 2; $260, Loge; $235, Balcony 1; $200, Balcony 2.. With the concert, the ticket package is $288, Orchestra 1; $260, Orchestra 2; $288, Loge; $260, Balcony 1; $220, Balcony 2. In a decade together lead singer Kevin Griffin, bass player Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb have made songs such as "Good," "Rosalia" and "Desperately Wanting" irresistible radio staples. Better Than Ezra’s latest ventures have included the release of the trio’s fourth album, “Closer,” and a series of tongue-in-cheek advertisements for ESPN’s “College Game Day.” Tickets for the Better Than Ezra “Columbia Extra!” concert are $28, Orchestra 1; $25, Orchestra 2; $28, Loge; $25, Balcony 1; $20, Balcony 2. The curtain will go up on the Columbia Theatre’s second season with the January 19 performance by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the first of three LPO Columbia concerts. LPO will present a newly commissioned piece for the orchestra and an 80-voice chorus celebrating the anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. American composer Robert Kapilow will conduct the LPO in the world premiere of his composition “‘03: This New, Immense, Unbounded World.” After debuting in Baton Rouge the night before, the Columbia performance will be the piece’s first stop on a six-city tour. Kapilow traveled across the state to create the piece, inviting citizens to participate in his musical and cultural outreach. His inspiration was the passionate congressional debate surrounding the Louisiana Purchase. Kapilow has engaged in similar lively discussions with Louisiana citizens, giving him insight into the historic event itself. The LPO will make two additional stops at the Columbia during the 2003 season. On May 16, the orchestra will present “Fantastic Finale!”, a program of light classical fare. The LPO will also close out the season with its popular holiday concert on December 5. Tickets for LPO concerts are $30, Orchestra 1; $25, Orchestra 2; $30, Loge; $25, Balcony 1 $20, Balcony 2. The “‘03: This New, Immense, Unbound World” concert is scheduled for 3 p.m., while the concerts in May and December will begin at 7:30 p.m. Grammy Award winning pianist George Winston is up next in the 2003 season. Winston will bring his special blend of jazz, rhythm & blues, folk, stride and classical music to the Columbia on February 20. His unique sound and mix of original compositions, traditional folk melodies and contemporary and classic pop songs have made him one of the best known and most loved pianists of our time. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are $30, Orchestra 1; $25, Orchestra 2; $30, Loge; $25, Balcony 1; $20, Balcony 2. Barry Manilow's hit song, “Copacabana” is the inspiration for the 2003 season’s next offering -- an exciting and passionate musical by the same name. Scheduled for 7:30 p.m., March 6, “Copacabana” is a tale of love and romance set at the heart of the 1940s swinging nightclub scene. Flamboyantly fun and rioting with color, “Copacabana” has been described as a loving tribute to the Technicolor movies of Hollywood's early days, complete with beautiful costumes, beautiful people and beautiful voices. Tickets are $33, Orchestra 1; $30, Orchestra 2; $33, Loge; $30, Balcony 1; $27, Balcony 2. On March 20, the New Orleans Tennessee Williams Literary Festival will collaborate with Southeastern to present “Vieux Carré,” Tennessee Williams’s most faithful recreation of the atmosphere and decadent charm of the French Quarter. “Vieux Carré” dramatizes the famed playwright’s experiences as a newcomer to New Orleans in 1938, when he lived in a Toulouse Street boarding house and reveled in the “exotic wonderland” he found in the Crescent City. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance are $22, Orchestra 1; $20, Orchestra 1; $22, Loge; $20, Balcony 1; $18, Balcony 2. Following the Thursday public performance, “Vieux Carré” will also be offered to area schools on Friday, March 21 through the Columbia’s extensive education outreach program. Still running as a smash hit in New York, the musical “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” comes to the Columbia on April 1. The show, which will be performed at 7:30 p.m., has been described as “Seinfeld set to music.” The musical joyride through the jungle of the modern day mating game celebrates “everything you’ve secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.” Tickets for “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change” are $33, Orchestra1; $30, Orchestra 2; $33, Loge; $30, Balcony 1; $27, Balcony 2. The Columbia’s education outreach program will treat area school children to a performance of the Cleveland Signstage Theatre’s production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on April 4. Schools can sign up for the performance on a first come-first serve basis by calling Columbia assistant director Keiron Couret at 985-543-4366. Since their origins at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939, the Blind Boys of Alabama have kept alive the spirit and energy of pure soul gospel music. And at ages when most men have retired from life's spotlight, they are appearing on the David Letterman Show and opening for the U.S. tour of rocker Peter Gabriel. The Blind Boys’ Columbia performance is set for April 29 and tickets are $25, Orchestra 1; $23, Orchestra 2; $25, Loge; $23, Balcony 1; $20, Balcony 2. Bluegrass music legend Del McCoury and his band will perform at the Columbia on July 11. Over the past decade McCoury has been credited with making bluegrass hip again, exposing a new generation to the “high lonesome” sound of this distinctly American music. Recently named Entertainer of the Year for the sixth time by the International Bluegrass Music Association, the group’s stringent rhythm guitar and piercing lead vocals have made it a cornerstone of traditional bluegrass music. Del McCoury Band tickets are $23, Orchestra 1; $20, Orchestra 2; $23, Loge; $20, Balcony 1; $18, Balcony 2. The Columbia stage will resound with the rhythm of “Dancing On Common,” a percussion dance ensemble that resonates with the thundering rhythms of “Riverdance,” the hard-charging percussive tap of “Tap Dogs” and the energy of “Stomp.” “Dancing on Common Ground” is a very “uncommon” combination of energy, precision and dancing artistry. Clicking, tapping and kicking their way through 25 smashing numbers, the ensemble of world champion Irish step-dancers, country cloggers and quick-footed tappers exuberantly celebrates the immensely popular art form of percussion dance. Tickets are $25, Orchestra 1; $23, Orchestra 2; $25, Loge; $23, Balcony 1; $20, Balcony 2. On October 14, award-winning, velvet-voiced country singer Kathy Mattea will step into the Columbia spotlight. Mattea has twice been honored as the Country Music Association’s female vocalist of the year and has garnered two Grammy Awards. Now, she is following a more gentle, sophisticated musical path, entering into the world of folk music with a style she describes as “contemporary folk with a Celtic twist.” Kathy Mattea tickets are $32, Orchestra 1; $30, Orchestra 2; $32, Loge; $30, Balcony 1; $27, Balcony 2. For additional information, call the Columbia/Fanfare office, 220 E. Thomas St., 985-543-4366. Information is also available online at www.selu.edu/columbia. |
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