But Cedartown Performing Arts Center Director Gary Redding hopes that the bizarre blend of down home comfort and glitzy pizzazz will draw in the masses come showtime.
Aptly named “Grits and Glamour,” the 2005-2006 season boasts eleven shows ranging from circus acrobatics to the crooning of Patsy Cline.
“The name of the season, “Grits and Glamour,” is a play on words,” said Redding. “This season is a mix that will attract a broader audience. There is something for everyone.”
Kicking off the season on September 10, Pat Boone will step up on the Cedartown stage for one of his last performances.
After 50 years of performing, Boone has said that the 2005-2006 season will be his last on tour.
“We’ll have several shows that will be sell-outs,” said Redding. “Of course lots of folks will come out to see Pat Boone. People will want to see him.”
Redding also expects Cornell Gunter’s Coasters and the Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters to pack in the audience the following show on October 7.
After 35 years of bringing the country his unique look at The Coasters, Cornell Gunter’s Coasters continue to keep the music alive with hits like “Charlie Brown,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Searchin’.”
From his return to the Drifters in 1969 through his untimely death in 1996, Hobbs was the leader of the Drifters during their greatest years as a touring group.
Today, Hobbs’ wife has united many of the late husband’s former band members as the Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters to commemorate much of the great material to which he contributed.
Switching gears to a totally different type of show, Driving Miss Daisy will drive right into Cedartown on October 29.
Set in the Deep South in 1948, the play has no musical accompaniment, just a cast of two talented actors that tell the tale of 72-year-old widow Daisy Wertham and her chauffeur. In a series of absorbing scenes, the two become close friends, despite their differences.
The next show, Redding said, would take the audience from tears to laughter from one scene to the next.
In “Children’s Letters to God,” Redding said the all-children cast “takes you from one end of the spectrum to the other.”
The musical, inspired by the international best-selling book, features a cast of young actors ranging in age from ten to 15 years old.
Drawn from real letters written to God by children, the play, which will be performed November 17, tackles questions like “Dear God, How did you know you were God?,” and “Dear God, Are you really invisible or is that just a trick?”
The sounds of Christmas with the Mantovani Orchestra will bring in the holiday season on December 1.
Mantovani’s Christmas concerts are rich in their offerings. Dramatic performances of ballet selections by Tchaikovsky, wrapped up with festive sounds of “Santa’s Sleigh Ride,” combine with traditional compositions like “Ave Maria,” make for a spectacular Yuletide transition into the holidays.
The beginning of the New Year holds a show that will appeal to the young, and young at heart.
The Russian American Kids Circus will fill the air on January 28 with juggling, flying acrobatics, aerial acts and tightrope walking.
Presented by children under the age of 18, the performers are professionally trained by the veterans of the famous Moscow Circus.
The season takes a 180-degree turn from circus acts to a charming blonde in the February 14 production of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
“What can I say about this show?,” said Redding. “It’s going to be on Valentine’s night. It’ll be a good show to bring your sweetheart to.”
The legendary musical, set in the 1920s, follows the madcap adventures of chorus girl Lorelei Lee, a role made famous by Broadway’s Carol Channing in 1949 and movie star Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s.
Blondes not your style? What about rednecks?
Departing their stereotypical tuxes and well-groomed appearance, the three tenors coming into Cedartown on March 4, have a totally different approach to opera.
The musical comedy, “3 Redneck Tenors,” feature classically trained veteran artists from Broadway and world opera stages.
“This show is taking three professionally trained operatic tenors and puts them in jeans and cowboy hats. It’s just corny … it will be a hilarious show,” Redding remarked.
Written by opera-veteran Matthew Lord with music by Craig Bohmler, “3 Redneck Tenors” boasts an impressive cast of opera stars and tunes ranging from Elvis to Puccini.
“Invented” instruments are the attraction to the Performing Arts Center’s next show.
Titled “Phonk!,” the visually stunning performance features four men and one women who take the audience on a creative journey through choreographed routines and original music written for 45 original instruments.
“Phonk!" is a super-duper energy show. The instruments are all made from things found in a junkyard … xylophones built from tailpipes and things like that,” Redding explained.
All you need is love – and a ticket to see the April 22 performance of “Legends of Yesterday.”
The show presents the only tribute to the Everly Brothers being done in America, as well as Buddy Holly and The Beatles.
From Rock ‘n Roll to dyed in the wool country music, the season wraps up with “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline,” on April 30.
The performance traces the legendary singer’s short career from her early honky-tonk days through her rise at the Grand Ole Opry and features 21 of Cline’s greatest hits, including “Walkin’ After Midnight,””Sweet Dreams,” “ Fall to Pieces,” “Crazy,” “She’s Got You,” and “Just A Closer Walk with Thee.”
Redding is really pushing for younger Cedartown residents to attend this season’s shows. “Children can get tickets for half-price. We want to attract children to attend, to be introduced to culturally diverse shows. They can come for as little as $7.50. That’s less than some movies and this is live performances.”
He said anyone can see the eleven performances this season for as little as $10.46 per show. “We’re really trying to make it affordable for everyone.”
For those residents who want the “best seat in the house” every performance, Redding said an A-section season ticket can be purchased for $275. After the first ticket, the second and third season pass can be purchased for $200 a piece. “We’re doing this to encourage entire households to come to the entire season,” commented Redding.
As an extra incentive, Redding said that by purchasing a season ticket, patrons have a chance to win a New York City get-a-way for two. “We’ll hold a special drawing for that during intermission at the Pat Boone show,” he explained.
For more information, contact the Performing Arts Center at 770-748-4168 or log on to www.ccauditorium.com.
A complete list of ticket prices can be found on the website.
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