Charlotte Performing Arts Center announces 2016-2017 Premiere Artist Season

Your Charlotte Performing Arts Center is very excited to announce its 2016-2017 Premiere Artist Series of professional entertainers for your enjoyment. This year the Performing Arts Center continues to present to the Charlotte and greater Mid-Michigan area some of the best performers from the local area, the State of Michigan and the Midwest region.
The season kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. with the second annual Charlotte’s Idol Contest. Some of the most amazing vocalists from Charlotte and surrounding areas will compete to win the title of Charlotte’s Idol. The winning contestant will receive a contract to open for Joshua Davis on October 14, 2016. The top three contestants will return to Charlotte during July 2017 for the Concerts on the Courthouse Lawn series. This evening you the audience will help to determine the winner as you are an additional judge for the competition. Plus join us in the cafeteria following the show for a reception with all of the contestants and judges.
Just two weeks later, on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m., Traverse City native and third place finalist on television’s The Voice, Season 8, Joshua Davis will be taking to the stage right here in Charlotte. Joshua’s music is steeped in ragtime blues, sweet jazz, and real country. His songs blend the roots of American music with rock n’ roll and reggae soul. You also have the chance to purchase a VIP experience including seating in the first three rows at the concert and a meet-and-greet reception with Joshua himself following the concert.
Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. “The legend lives on…” as The Gordon Lightfoot Tribute takes to the stage. A night of romantic ballads and songs including such standards as “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “Rainy Day People,” and of course in tribute to the anniversary the day before “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Mike Fornes and the Whispers of the North, a five-piece band, create a stunning theatrical show that replicates the Lightfoot concert experience.
If you are looking for a fabulous way to kick off our family’s holiday season, then join us on Friday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m., as The Sicilian Tenors and more than 100 voices from the Charlotte High School choirs present Christmas Amore. Best described as “The Three Tenors meets the Rat Pack,” The Sicilian Tenors are a must see show filled with the power and beauty of operatic tenor voices singing marvelous dongs and arias as they should be sung combined with lighthearted fun for all ages.
Thought to be the foremost expert on the American composers, especially George Gershwin, Bay City, Mich. native and America’s Pianist, Kevin Cole will take to the stage on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Kevin has played to sold out audiences around the globe, including just a couple weeks ago with the Chicago Symphony, and with such prestigious groups as the L.A. Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Edmonton, and New Zealand symphonies. He was also the featured soloist for the PBS special Gershwin at One Symphony Place. During his Jan. 14 performance, the Charlotte Symphony Band will have the privilege of accompanying Mr. Cole on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m., will bring a musical journey like no other — it’s Majesty: The Best of the British Invasion and Beyond. Majesty features a rock band that takes the British songs that filled our airwaves in the 1960s and 1970s and combines them with a 15 piece orchestra ensemble. Imagine “Stairway to Heaven,” “Long and Winding Road,” “Nights in White Satin,” and “Yesterday” with their signature rock sound combined with the eloquence and beauty of a symphony orchestra and dramatic vocals. The combination truly honors a timeframe that defined a generation.
It’s the musical Jurassic Park at your Charlotte Performing Arts Center as The Mammoth Follies takes to the stage on Saturday, March 18 at 3 p.m. An old-fashioned vaudeville style musical review that takes you on a journey through the great age of the king of the reptiles, thundering lizards – the dinosaurs. Host Willie Mammoth and friends Smiley (the Saber-Toothed Tiger), Bessie (the lovable 27-foot long Apatosaurus), Tony and Trixie Triceratops, Terry (the Pterodactyl) and the 12-foot tall T-Rex will guide you on your trip through pre-history – it’s pre-hysterical fun for all ages!
Magic and mystery abound on Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. as Nelson Illusions, the nation’s largest touring illusions show, presents Dreams of the Impossible! The best illusions from around the world including: Blades of Death, a woman fired from a cannon, a man melts through solid metal, and the Jet Turbine Escape, combined with smaller classic illusions will make you question if you can believe your own eyes.
The 2016-2017 Premiere Artist Season will come to an end as the Celebrate Charlotte Festival kicks-off at your Charlotte Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. with Branson’s No. 1 Family Show – The Bretts. Each member of this family has star power, and this power-packed two-hour entertainment experience combines music, video, dance, comedy and genuine artistry. The show mixes timeless classics, current chart-topping hits and award winning original music like their Patriotic Tribute. And hang on to your hats for the brothers’ Tron Basketball. The Bretts prove that family entertainment is the best entertainment. Consider a VIP experience that includes a meet-and-greet reception with The Bretts following the show.
Series packages are available now through your Charlotte Performing Arts Center Box Office. Individual show tickets will go on sale Saturday, Sept. 3 at 9 a.m. at CharlottePerformingArtsCenter.com or on Tuesday, Sept. 6 by calling the box office at (517) 541-5690 or stopping by 378 State Street from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday to Friday.
For more information, questions, and concerns contact Jeffrey Hayes, Director, Charlotte Performing Arts Center at HayesJ@charlottenet.org or by phone at (517) 541-5691.