Civic Theatre season bringing favorites, new acts to Akron
9/13/2012 - West Side Leader
 |
| Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro is coming to the Akron Civic Theatre Dec. 8. |
| Photo courtesy of the Akron Civic Theatre |
“The schedule is just amazing and we’re really excited to be bringing this to Akron,” said Val Renner, the Civic’s media/public relations manager. “We have such a great, diverse schedule with the community and national acts. There is something for everyone, and that’s what makes it so exciting.”
Coming back to the Civic, located at 182 S. Main St., is Valastro, who appeared before a sold-out audience nearly two years ago. He’ll be back Dec. 8 for a special holiday show, Renner said.
“Everyone loves Buddy,” she said. “This is a little different from the last show. He’ll be doing demonstrations and talking about recipes.”
Among the other national touring acts planning a stop at the Civic this year are Coach Bobby Knight (Oct. 5), Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson (Nov. 4) and Theresa Caputo, from the TLC show “Long Island Medium,” (Oct. 28).
Also returning is the “The Nutcracker” performed by Ballet Theatre of Ohio (Nov. 24-Dec. 2), “Schoolhouse Rock Live” performed by Firestone Theatre (Nov. 18), and the theatrical Madcap Puppets, from Columbus, with “Rumplestiltskin” (Oct. 21) and “The Cinderella Files” (April 7).
This season also will see the return of the All-City High School Musical, which will take place in June. This past season was the first for this event, which saw a cast of Akron high school students perform “Hairspray.”
“We had three shows and the attendance was phenomenal,” Renner said.
This year’s musical title will be announced soon, but Renner said one thing that is certain for this year’s project is that students from all Summit County high schools can audition.
The Civic also will welcome the Akron Symphony Orchestra as it performs its Pops series at the Civic. That will include “Arrival: The Music of ABBA” (Oct. 25) and “Shower the People: The Music of James Taylor” (April 20).
Other famed musicians will be paid tribute to in a variety of ways at the theater. Local musician Ryan Humbert once again will perform his “Only the Lonely” tribute to Roy Orbison (Nov. 16), while songstress Helen Welch will perform “Yesterday Once More,” a tribute to the Carpenters (Nov. 2). Paul Hoffman will also perform in his tribute to the music of Fred Astaire (Sept. 28).
Also scheduled are Beatles tribute acts 1964 and The Rebeats (Oct. 6), Led Zeppelin tribute Zoso (Feb. 2) and Pink Floyd tribute Brit Floyd (March 3).
Jazz lovers will find something for them with two Jazz @ the Civic performances, with local trumpeter Josh Rzepka (Sept. 22) and Forecast (Sept. 29).
Family shows continue to be popular at the Civic, Renner said, and plans this year call for a new animal show, “Zoolympics,” in conjunction with the Akron Zoo.
“This is a great collaboration for Akron to bring them to the stage of the Civic Theatre,” Renner said. “Kids will be competing against the animals to see who wins. It will be informative and educational at the same time.”
Other highlights include a screening of the concert film “Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest ’86” (Oct. 20), which captures the band on its last tour with singer Freddie Mercury; and “Girls Night: The Musical” (Oct. 19), a musical comedy about a group of female friends.
Renner said the Civic also is adding two new fundraisers. The first, It’s All About Chocolate, will take place Feb. 13 and feature chocolates and wines. The second one, Spirits of the Civic, will include wine, beer and liquor tastings on April 13.
Tickets for most Civic shows are on sale now. For complete details on the season, go to www.akroncivic.com or call 330-253-2488. The Civic Box Office is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
More Entertainment News
Calendar of Events
- Spaghetti Dinner - 5/18/2013
- Amadeus Sinfonietta - 5/18/2013
- Book fair - 5/18/2013
- Sounds of Spring - 5/18/2013
- Highland Middle School Art Show - 5/18/2013
...More Events
