Enjoy the Smooth Sounds of Magical Romance!

An Evening With Johnny Mathis

Saturday, March 9 at 8pm, Tickets: $95/85

Johnny Mathis uses a fitting description when he talks about the connection he makes with his fans onstage…”It’s a love affair!”

At the start of his career, Mathis’ vocal depth and innocent image made him a favorite with female fans looking for an alternative to the brash rock of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. His voice, then and now, was immediately recognizable and unique: a rich, honeyed tenor that transcended social and racial barriers.

In the more than 50 years since his first hit records, Mathis has successfully wooed several generations of fans through early hits like “Wonderful, Wonderful,” “Chances Are” and “It’s Not for Me to Say,” and later successes, including 1978′s chart-topping “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” a duet with Deniece Williams. His 2011 album, “Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville,” earned a Grammy® nomination for the Lifetime Grammy Achievement winner. Enjoy a warm and “Wonderful, Wonderful” evening listening to the silky, sultry sensuous sounds of this legendary romanticist.

“…Johnny Mathis still has the magic of romance…

Mathis was terrific, singing romantic songs with three musicians he brought along, and one of the

- The Columbus Dispatch

Sponsored in part by

The Animal Emergency and Referral Center

An Evening With

Michael McDonald

Friday, March 8 at 8pm, Tickets: $65/59

Two notes. That’s all it takes to recognize the voice of Michael McDonald. Distinctive and soulful, it is one of the most yearningly emotive instruments of our times. To this add formidable songwriting and keyboard skills, and you have an artist who has been a singular musical presence for four decades. From ‘70s-era Doobie Brothers classics such as “What A Fool Believes” and solo hits like “I Keep Forgettin’” through two highly-acclaimed Motown covers albums and recent genre-busting guest spots with alternative buzz bands Grizzly Bear and Holy Ghost, the five-time Grammy-winning McDonald is that rare thing in contemporary pop – an artist whose work is both timeless and ever-evolving.

In the early ‘70s, McDonald joined Steely Dan. Over the course of four classic albums, from Katy Lied to Gaucho, McDonald became an integral part of the group’s sound, singing background vocals on FM staples like “Black Friday” and “Peg.” In the mid-‘70s, McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers, helping the band redefine their funky R & B sound as a singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such Top 40 singles as “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.”

His distinct vocal style also made him one of the world’s most sought-after session singers. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, his solo career zoomed from success to success on the wings of evergreen hits like “I Keep Forgettin’,” “On My Own” (a duet with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning duet with James Ingram “Yah Mo B There.”

Continuing to explore new vistas, in 2003 and 2004, McDonald released his Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling pair of Motown albums. Then in 2005, he partnered with Hallmark for a special Christmas album, Through The Many Winters, which sold 500,000 copies in its first two weeks.

With a career that encompasses five Grammys, numerous chart successes, personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music.

Kodo

Thursday, March 7 at 7pm, Tickets: $45/39

Kodo is a professional taiko drumming troupe. Based on Sado Island, Japan, they have had a role in popularizing taiko drumming, both in Japan and abroad. They regularly tour Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, Kodo is forging new directions for a vibrant living art-form. In Japanese the word “Kodo” conveys two meanings: Firstly, “heartbeat” the primal source of all rhythm. The sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother’s heartbeat as felt in the womb, and it is no myth that babies are often lulled asleep by its thunderous vibrations. Secondly, read in a different way, the word can mean “children of the drum,” a reflection of Kodo’s desire to play the drums simply, with the heart of a child. Since the group’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 3500 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third resting and preparing new material on Sado Island.

Kodo strives to both preserve and re-interpret traditional Japanese performing arts. Beyond this, members on tours and research trips all over the globe have brought back to Sado a kaleidoscope of world music and experiences which now exerts a strong influence on the group’s performances and compositions. Collaborations with other artists and composers extend right across the musical spectrum and Kodo’s lack of preconceptions about its music continues to produce startling new fusion and forms.

Dwight Yoakam

Wednesday, March 6 at 7pm, Tickets: $65/$59

Don’t miss Singer, actor, songwriter and two time Grammy Award winner, Dwight Yoakam for one night only at The Sunrise Theatre.

Few entertainers have attained the iconic status of Dwight Yoakam. Perhaps that is because so few have consistently and repeatedly met the high standard of excellence delivered by the Kentucky native no matter what his endeavor. His name immediately conjures up compelling, provocative images: A pale cowboy hat with the brim pulled low; poured-on blue jeans; intricate, catchy melodies paired with poignant, brilliant lyrics that mesmerize with their indelible imprint. Then there’s Yoakam the actor, who seemingly melts into his roles, impressively standing toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians: Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, Nicholas Cage. Add to that Yoakam the entrepreneur and you have a singular talent without peer.

He has 12 gold albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, including the triple-platinum “This Time.” Five of those albums have topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart with another 14 landing in the Top 10. More than 30 singles have charted, with 22 going Top 20, including the incomparable hits “Honky Tonk Man,” “Please Please Baby,” “Little Ways,” “I Sang Dixie,” “It Only Hurts When I Cry,” “Fast as You” and “Thousand Miles from Nowhere.”

Praised by Associated Press as “one of the most consistently interesting country music visionaries of his time” and honored at the 2012 6th Annual ACM Honors with the prestigious Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums, has 12 gold albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, including the triple platinum This Time. Five of his albums have topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart with another fourteen landing in the Top 10. More than 30 singles have charted, with 22 Top 20 hits. Yoakam has won two Grammy Awards and earned an impressive 21 nominations.

“Dwight Yoakam never compromises a moment on his music or his performance, and never fails to deliver. Dwight Yoakam gives a show that is absolutely not to be missed….”
About.com – Country Music

Sponsored by Sunrise Theatre and the Sunrise Theatre Foundation:

Creole Choir of Cuba

Wednesday, February 27 at 7pm, Tickets: FREE

The Creole Choir of Cuba are Rogelio Torriente, Fidel Miranda, Teresita Miranda, Marcelo Luis, Dalio Vital, Emilia Diaz Chavez, Yordanka Fajardo, Irian Montejo, Marina Fernandes, Yara Diaz.

Be prepared to hear something completely different and ‘new’ from Cuba. In glorious songs like Edem Chanté (Listen To Us!), The Creole Choir celebrate the history of their Haitian descendents enslaved to the Caribbean from West Africa. The Creole Choir’s ten remarkable singers come from Camagüey, Cuba’s third city, down towards the eastern end of the island.

They grew up and studied music in this old colonial town, designated a UNESCO World heritage Site in 2008 for its colonial architecture. They have nurtured music passed down in their families since the early 19th century, gradually adding modern Haitian sounds following their own first visit to a Haitian festival in 1996.

Celebratory, with brisk Haitian rhythms and endlessly inventive vocal combinations.” – The New York Times (New York City USA)

For tickets, call the box office: 772-461-4775

An Evening With
Paul Anka
Sunday, February 24 at 7pm, Tickets: $95/85

Ziggy Marley
Friday, February 22 at 8pm, Tickets: $45/39

Living Legends… American Treasures
The O’Jays
Saturday, February 2 at 8pm, Tickets: $65/55

An Evening With
Engelbert Humperdinck
Sunday, January 27 at 7pm, Tickets: $69/59

An Evening With
Vince Gill
Thursday, January 24 at 7pm, Tickets: $75/65