Fowler Center Announces Riceland Performance Series for 2018-19
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University’s Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, announces the lineup for its 2018-19 Riceland Distinguished Performance Series.
Themed "Americana & More," this year's series will offer a broad variety of outstanding entertainment, beginning in late August.
In 2017-18, Fowler Center recorded one of the best years in its 18-year history, attaining a 119 percent boost in ticket sales over the previous season. The ticket sales performance was the third best in the history of the visual and performing arts center.
“We were fortunate to bring such outstanding talent to the Fowler Center last year,” said Michael Bowman, who served as Fowler Center director during that time. “We really appreciate the support from the community who came out to our shows last season.”
The 2018-19 Fowler Center Series will emphasize variety and feature nationally recognized established artists along with up-and-coming performers from across several genres. All performances start at 7:30 p.m. Here is the lineup:
-- John McEuen and the String Wizards, Thursday, Aug. 30. McEuen brings with him more than 45 years of worldwide performing with his banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin. A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966, McEuen instigated the 1972 classic "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album, inducted into the Library of Congress as 'one of America's most important recordings.’
-- The Muses Opera Classics Plus, Thursday, Sept. 13. With a national cast of young, professional singers, dancers and instrumentalists, this performance offers various selections from "La Traviata," "Carmen," "Madame Butterfly," "The Magic Flute" and "Fledermaus." The Muses will also perform selections from "Les Miserables," "West Side Story," and "Sweeny Todd."
-- The Magic of David Garrard, Monday, Nov. 5. David Garrard has been speaking and entertaining with magic for more than 50 years and has appeared extensively throughout the U.S. He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (Order of Merlin), the Society of American Magicians, and the Louisville Magic Club. David has published a book of his magic, "Out of My Hat, The Magic of David Garrard."
-- M-Pact, an acapella group, Thursday, Dec. 6. Imagine the smooth soul of Sam Smith, the percussive power of Stomp, the funk and groove of Bruno Mars, the sophisticated harmonies of Take 6, and the brass bite of the Michael Bublé Big Band . . . All created by the human voice alone. Hailed as "one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world" by the San Francisco Chronicle, M-Pact is respected worldwide as a trailblazer in the realm of vocal music. The group will present a holiday concert at A-State.
-- The McCrary Sisters, Tuesday, Feb. 15. The list of artists the McCrary Sisters have collaborated with, both as a group and individually, reads like a stroll through the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . . . Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder. With their exhilarating new album, "McCrary Sisters: Live," it’s clear that the McCrary women shine brightest when they’re center stage.
-- The Steel Wheels, a bluegrass ensemble, Monday, March 4. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Steel Wheels are familiar with the traditions of folk music and how a string band is supposed to sound. Their musical style weaves through Americana and bluegrass, folk and old-time music.
-- Todd Mosby’s New Horizons Ensemble, Friday, April 5. This six-member ensemble has toured from New York to San Francisco. A genre-defying folk, jazz, world-fusion ensemble, this super group includes Grammy-nominated and winning performers delivering an acoustic instrumental mix with virtuoso flair.
Ticket Information
All seating is reserved. Season tickets and individual tickets are now on sale. Contact the Fowler Center at (870) 972-3471 or the Central Box Office in the First National Bank Arena, 217 Olympic Drive, or call (870) 972-ASU1.
Tickets also are available online from the Central Box Office online. For more details, visit www.yourfowlercenter.com or like the Fowler Center Facebook page.
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