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New Grand Opera House season offers quality, variety

Saja Hoffpauir, Lifestyles Editor

As the Grand Opera House enters its 2016-2017 season, it is once again offering a variety of excellent entertainment.
Kim Gattle, the executive director of the opera house, is especially excited about the lineup: “It’s hard to believe we are entering our ninth year, and every year just keeps getting better!”
“Everyone has embraced the Grand Opera House and we want them to continue finding value in the performers we bring to the stage,” says Gattle.
And, as Gattle so correctly points out, the arts are an important part of every community.
“The arts bridge gaps between people, they inspire us and help us express ourselves, they strengthen the economy and drive tourism. More people are interested in the opera house every year and we want to ensure that our contribution to the community is a valuable one.”
On tap for this season:
• Sept. 9 - Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars - In keeping with tradition, the Grand Opera House will kick off its new season with a Louisiana artist. Two Louisiana artists, in fact. Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars will take the stage with Sonny Landreth for the first time ever on Friday, Sept. 9.
The Grammy-nominated Romero and his band have been performing worldwide for more than 20 years and are known not only for their authenticity when performing traditional Cajun and Creole music, but for their Louisiana-inspired songwriting as well. Their new album, “Gulfstream,” will be released Sept. 15.
The legendary Landreth, who plays slide guitar, has been called “the King of Slydeco” and, according to Eric Clapton, is one of the most advanced but underappreciated guitarists in the world. His new album, “Bound by the Blues,” was released in June of last year.
The performance will begin at 7 p.m., with a complimentary cocktail reception beginning at 6 p.m.
• Sept. 26 - The Annie Moses Band - The Annie Moses Band is a classical-crossover ensemble that has been inspiring and entertaining audiences for over a decade.
The band is fronted by lead singer and violinist Annie Wolivar and includes her five siblings, Alex (viola), Ben (cello), Camille (harp/B3), Gretchen (violin/mandolin/guitar) and Jeremiah (electric guitar). Together they are a talented ensemble of songwriters, singers and musicians combining technical skills and exhilarating showmanship to produce a captivating blend of the folk and classical genres.
Jan. 12, 2017 - Mandy Barnett - Barnett’s style is rooted in the classic country and pop crooning of iconic singers and enduring sounds. She delves into a song with a keen interpretive sense, studying the intricacies of its emotional content and rendering a powerful performance through her full-bodied voice.
She has released six albums and has charted thee singles on the “Billboard” country charts. She has also held the role of Patsy Cline in the musical “Always . . . Patsy Cline” about Cline’s life.
April 1, 2017 - Mandy Harvey - Mandy Harvey was an 18-year-old vocal education major at Colorado State University when she lost her original hearing to a connective disorder that affected her nerves.
Although she left the vocal education program, she ultimately returned to music and has released three albums so far.
Despite profound hearing loss, her timing and pitch are perfect and her passion is obvious.
In 2011, Harvey won VSA’s Top Young Soloist Award and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
May 1, 2017 - Kevin Spirtas - Kevin Spirtas landed his first professional job on Broadway when he was just 18 years old and cast for the role of Mike (“I Can Do That”) Costa in “A Chorus Line.” Since then he has appeared in numerous Broadway productions and in 2003 was selected to be Hugh Jackman’s stand-in in the hit musical “The Boy from Oz.” Most recently he starred as “Corny Collins in the Las Vegas production of “Hairspray.”
Spirtas may be better known to some as Dr. Craig Wesley, the character he played on NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” for seven and a half years.
In this exciting, energetic and tuneful concert, Spirtas takes the audience on a tour of his career highlights.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.thegrandoperahouse.org or by calling the opera house at 785-0440.
Season tickets that include all five performances are also available and are priced at $220 for orchestra seats and $170 for far orchestra. The purchase of season tickets saves $20, allows for advance seat selection, the purchase of add-on show tickets at a reduced price and the retention of seats from year-to-year.
The Grand Opera House is located at 505 N. Parkerson Ave. in Crowley.

Season add-ons
Oct. 7 - Amanda Shires - Texas-born violinist and singer/songwriter Amanda Shires makes heartfelt country- and folk-influenced music as both a solo artist and a member of her husband Jason Isbell’s band The 400 Unit.
Oct. 14 - Dick Hardwick - Comedian Dick Hardwick proves that in this day and age of “blue” humor there is great demand for a clean comedian who doesn’t litter his act with four-letter words.
Nov. 18 - Beginnings: The Ultimate Chicago Concert Experience - The tribute band Beginnings was formed in 2002 by a group of professional musicians, all veterans of the New York music scene, out of love and respect for Chicago, one of the greatest American bands of all time.
March 14, 2017 - Route 66: Jukebox Musical - Four snappy young pump jockeys take the audience to various stops along the historic “Mother Road” where a menagerie of characters sing and dance to timeless pop and country tunes.
April 28, 2017 - “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” - The hilarious “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” is the only unscripted theatrical awards show. Master improvisers gather made-up hit song suggestions from the audience and create a spontaneous evening of music, humor and laughter.

Take advantage of the Carmichael Family Series
The Grand Opera House’s Family Series, sponsored by Ted and Judy Carmichael and Family, may be one of Crowley’s “best kept secrets,” and the secret needs to get out.
Every season the series offers a number of high-quality performances for children that are priced at just $10 for children 12 years and younger and $12 for adults.
The performances are top notch, about an hour long and extremely family-friendly, making them one of the best deals around in terms of children’s entertainment.
This years Family Series will include:
• Oct. 25 - Lynn Trefzger - For over 30 years, ventriloquist Lynn Trefzger has brought life to a trunk full of comical characters, performing for audiences worldwide. Trefzger, a premier entertainer for Disney Cruise Lines, incorporates off-the-wall audience interplay that is riotously funny and ensures that no two shows are alike.
• Jan. 29, 2017 - The Billy Jonas Band - The Billy Jonas Band makes use of recyclable items as instruments, focusing on the music potential of “found objects.” According to SchoolNewsRollCall.com, the band offers “catchy compositions. . .a full range of vocal and instrumental mastery. . .and the lyrics do more than instruct and educate. They. . .communicate profound messages of determination, maintaining humanity.”
• March 26 - The Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre - “Alice in Wonderland” - Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre combines the excitement of live theater with the magic of puppetry to enchant viewers of all ages and inspire children to reach for their dreams. The original musical “Alice in Wonderland” features a menagerie of nine-foot-tall puppets, a live actress and video backgrounds.

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