2009-10 “A Season of Note” series announced; tickets go on sale Aug. 24

Idaho State University will host a range of entertainment productions in the 2009-10 “A Season of Note” series held in the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall of the L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center.

There are nine shows in this year’s series, including everything from The 5 Browns piano quintet and the Peking Acrobats, to The Buddy Holly Experience.

“We’re again presenting a wide variety of programs for our patrons to enjoy,” said George Casper, ISU director of events. “This is as strong of a series as we’ve put on yet.”

Tickets range in price from $20 to $36, depending on the show and seat selection. Tickets go on sale August 24 and can be purchased at the Stephens Performing Arts Center Box Office, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the summer and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the school year. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone at (208) 282-3595 or online at www.idahostatetickets.com. They can also be purchased in-person at Vickers Western Stores in Pocatello or Idaho Falls.

There are three season ticket packages available: Package A, the full season, for $245 for the main level and $210 for the upper level; the five-performance Package B, which includes The King’s Singers, Jim Witter, Kurt Bestor, the Peking Acrobats and Solas, $135 main level and $117 upper level; and the five-performance Package C, which includes tickets for The 5 Browns, Rockapella, The Peking Acrobats, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Rave On!, $135 main level and $117 upper level.

Ticket prices for the individual shows are noted below. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. More information is available at www.isu.edu/stephens/. Upcoming series shows are:

• The 5 Browns, Oct. 8 – Billed as “classical music’s first family of piano virtuosos” the group will display their individual and collective mastery of the piano and their command of classical works by Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, and Saint Saens.  The five siblings are the first ever to be accepted simultaneously to New York’s Juilliard School. Ticket prices are $36 main level, $32 upper level. Website: www.the5browns.com.

• The King’s Singers, Oct. 30 – A review in The London Times stated this group is “still unmatched for their musicality and sheer ability to entertain.” The group was formed at King’s College, Cambridge, in 1968 and continues to be one of the most sought-after and critically acclaimed vocal ensembles in the world. Ticket prices are $32 main level, $28 upper level. Website: www.kingsingers.com.

• Jim Witter – The Piano Men, Nov. 14 – “The Piano Men” is a musical celebration of the 1970s.  The show is set entirely to the music of Billy Joel and Elton John, two of the icons of the period.  Witter is featured on the grand piano, along with his band. Using a rear-projected screen and a visual presentation Witter shows the newsworthy people and events of the period. Tickets are $24 main level, $20 upper level. Website: www.thepianomen.net.

• A Rockapella Holiday, Dec. 8 – Five men using only their voices and no instruments will display  “jaw-dropping vocal dexterity” that the New York Post calls “pure magical talent.”  The acappella group’s show will include popular holiday songs, rock solid harmonies, passionate arrangements and boundless enthusiasm on stage and in the audience. Ticket prices are $32 main level, $28 upper level. Website: http://press.rockapella.com.

• Kurt Bestor Christmas, Dec. 16 – From the magical, starry stage to the featured musicians and orchestra, from invited guests and Bestor’s own playing, conducting and emceeing the show, to the arrangements that add such texture to Christmas songs, there is nothing like a Kurt Bestor Christmas.  Bestor has performed to sell-out crowds at the Stephens Performing Arts Center the past four years. Ticket prices are $36 main level, $32 upper level. Website: www.kurtbestor.com.

• The Peking Acrobats, Feb. 3 – Hailing from the People’s Republic of China, this group has toured the world over, leaving audiences spellbound by the graceful presentation of their ancient folk art, acrobatics. Carefully selected from the finest acrobat schools in China, these gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists and tumblers transform 2,000-year-old athletic disciplines into an all-ages kaleidoscope of entertainment. Ticket prices are $24 main level, $20 upper level. Website: www.sroartists.com.

• Solas with the Teton Chamber Orchestra, March 6 – Since its beginning in 1996, Solas has been loudly proclaimed as the most popular, influential and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States. The Boston Herald described the quartet as “the truly first great Irish band to arise from America,” and the Irish Echo ranked Solas among the most “exciting bands anywhere in the world.”  Tickets are $32 main level, $28 upper level. Website: http://solasmusic.com/site/.

• The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, March 13 – Celebrating their 27th year on the concert stage, the members of the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet continue to set the standard for expression and virtuosity among guitar ensembles.  With over a dozen recordings over the past two decades, they have established themselves as the masters of the classics, as well as the creators of the unique syntheses of world-music and contemporary styles. Tickets are $32 main level, $28 upper level. Website: www.lagq.com.

• Rave On! The Buddy Holly Experience, April 24 – Remember poodle skirts?  How about carhops, the twist, hula-hoops and Buddy Holly?  The 1950s aren’t just a thing of the past when “Rave On!” Productions pays homage to rock n’ roll’s immortal legend – Buddy Holly.  Rave On! features America’s premier Buddy Holly interpreter, Billy McGuigan, who is backed by a six-piece Rave On! Band.  The show also features a three-piece horn. Tickets are $24 main level, $20 upper level. Website: www.hyperion-productions.com.