ASHLAND Murder, music, magic and memories are just a few facets of the recently announced 2017-18 season at the Paramount Arts Center.
The Broadway series includes two Broadway tours and a production by the Paramount Players. The concert series features appearances by nostalgic favorites and the Family/Adventure Series includes a wide range of shows.
Broadway Series
n “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” will be presented Nov. 2.
The Tony Award-winning musical tells the comic story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way. All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress, his fiancée and the constant threat of jail.
n “The Wizard of Oz” will be presented March 1.
A celebration of the iconic 1939 MGM film, “The Wizard of Oz” will be complete with munchkins and flying monkeys.
n The Paramount Players’ production of “The Little Mermaid” will be March 23 and 24.
Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” is a love story with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater and a book by Doug Wright.
Concert Series
n KC and the Sunshine Bane will perform Aug. 26.
The band’s music has been featured in every major sporting event in the world, 200 motion picture sound tracks and every holiday parade, including Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. No. 1 hits include “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” “Boogie Shoes,” “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Shake Your Booty” aned “Keep It Comin’ Love.”
n The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform Sept. 9.
Celebrating 50 years together, the band is considered a primary influence on country rock and American roots music.
Their hits include “Fishin’ in the Dark” and “Mr. Bojangles.” They are winners of multiple Grammy, IBMA and CMA awards and nominations. Their ground-breaking “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” album has been inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress as well as the Grammy Hall of Fame.
n Glenn Leonard’s Temptations Revue will be presented on March 10.
Leonard, who was the lead singer of The Temptations from 1975 to 1983, recorded on 10 albums with the group. His high tenor voice will be featured in an energetic performance.
n The Atlanta Pops will perform March 18 featuring former Celtic Woman Chloë Agnew.
The show will include many songs of Ireland, as well as standards and Broaway and movie tuners. Irish tenor Dermot Kiernan and Riverdance alum Scott Porter will join her on stage.
Family/Adventure Series
n The Paramount Arts Center will partner with the Ashland Youth Ballet to present The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker on Dec. 7.
Almost 40 ballerinas and danseurs from the Moscow Ballet will perform the Great Russian Nutcracker to Tchaikovsky’s score. The dance company is famous for its award-winning principal dancers, lavish Victorian costumes, backdrops created by “La La Land” concept designer Carl Sprague and its Russian focus including life-sized Matryoshka dolls, Russian folk legends and Troika sleigh.
n America’s Got Talent Season 6 finalists Cirque Zuma Zuma will take the stage on Feb. 6.
Known as the “ultimate African circus,” the show is filled with action and African culture, including dance, acrobatics, tumbling and music.
Cirque Zuma Zuma features disciplined performers who are trained in Kenya and Tanzania. Many describe it as an African‐style Cirque du Soleil.
Cirque Zuma Zuma will give a school performance on Feb. 7. A master class on African Dance is scheduled for Feb. 6.
n “The Lightning Thief,” nominated as Outstanding Musical from the Lortel Awards and for Best Family Show from the Off-Broadway Alliance, will be Feb. 13.
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school — again. But that’s the least of his troubles, as mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus are angry with him and he’s the prime suspect in a shocking theft.
n Shopkins Live! will be presented Feb. 22.
The No. 1 children’s toy in North America will make its stage debut in a live show featuring performances by Jessicake, Bubbleisha, Peppa-Mint, Rainbow Kate, Cocolette, Polli Polish and others.
Paramount Players
The resident community theater of the Paramount Arts Center will present a full season of shows, including “All Shook Up,” “Princess Diana: The Musical,” “Seussical Kids,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Madeline’s Christmas,” “1984” and “Shrek, Jr.”
All auditions are open to anyone in the community.
For more information, email Artistic Director Melanie Cornelison-Jannotta at Melanie@paramountartscenter.com.
n “All Shook Up” will be presented July 28 and 29.
The show features songs by Elvis Presley and the story is set in 1955 in a square little town in a square little state as a guitar-playing roustabout tries to change everything and everyone.
n “Seussical Kids” will be performed on Sept. 14.
The 40-minute production featuring younger children will bring favorite Dr. Seuss characters to life.
n The Paramount Players was one of 15 community theaters nationwide chosenm to perform the premiere of “Princess Diana: The Musical.”
Written to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, this production begins on the day she met Prince Charles and covers the ups and downs of the life of the princess. The production will be Sept. 22 and 23.
n “Little Show of Horrors” will be Oct. 27 and 28.
The combination sci-fi musical has been around for more than 30 years on stage and screen.
n “Madeline’s Christmas” will be presented Dec. 15 and 16.
The beloved children’s story provides evidence that miracles can happen.
n “1984” will be presented Feb. 2 and 3.
Author George Orwell stated, “I do not believe that the kind of society I describe necessarily will arrive, but I believe that something resembling it could arrive. The moral to be drawn from the dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one: Don’t let it happen. It depends on you.”
Orwell depicts the horrors of man’s fate in a society where Big Brother is always watching.
n Shrek, Jr. closes out the Paramount Players season on May 3.
This hour-long version features all young actors and the notion that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Film series
The season will include a film series.
n Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. — “Jaws.”
n Oct. 31, 11 p.m. — “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The show will include a live Shadow Cast performance by Down Home Decadence. Prop bags will be available for purchase.
n Dec. 21, 6:30 p.m. — “The Polar Express.”
n Feb. 18, 2 p.m. — “Titanic.” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett will be shown on February 18 at 2:00 pm.
n May 6, 2 p.m. — “Gone With the Wind.”
(606) 326-2661 |
