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Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts

Friday, March 11, 2016

Phil Vassar at Thrasher-Horne Center, Saturday, May 7th



Just Another Day in Paradise

Country music singer and songwriter Phil Vassar is known as one of Nashville’s top tunesmiths. He has been described as, “A piano-pounding powerhouse on stage.” Playing over 135 shows per year, he taps into his audiences via social media for song requests. His chart-topping hits include ten No. 1 singles and 26 Top 40 hits. Among those are "Carlene," "Six-Pack Summer," "That's When I Love You," and "Just Another Day in Paradise."
“Phil Vassar will always make you part of his show, will always make you feel special and most of all will always give all he’s got so you can walk away thinking, ‘Yes given the chance I will see him again.’”
Mary Kay, Country Music Matters
Phil Vassar was born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia. At Brookville High School, he set records in the High Jump and Long Jump which stand to this day. While in college at James Madison University, Vassar took up playing the piano. He found work as a singer in clubs. In the late 1990s, he began writing songs that were recorded by several well-known country music artists.
“I’ve always prided myself on writing a lot of different types of songs. While some people may like to play it safe, I prefer diversity.”
Phil Vassar
Many of Vassar’s songs became big hits. "Bye, Bye" and "I'm Alright" both made it to No. 1 for Jo Dee Messina, as did “Right on the Money” for Alan Jackson. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) named "Bye, Bye" Song of the Year. Also, Vassar was honored as ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999.
“This remarkable pianist not only entertained us with his own hits but also impressed the audience by easily covering multiple songs they requested throughout his performance. If you get a chance to see Vassar in concert, I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Brianna Nightingale, Country Music Stars Online
Vassar signed on with Arista Nashville as a recording artist. His debut album, Phil Vassar, was released in early 2000. He followed that with American Child in 2002, and Shaken Not Stirred in 2004. Prayer of a Common Man was released in 2008 and  Traveling Circus came out in 2009. Vassar has also released a Christmas album, NOEL, in 2011, and a greatest hits album in 2006 that included some of his songs that were previously recorded by other artists.
“Phil Vassar‘s knack for finding irresistible hooks is as sharp today
as it was in the early ’00s when hits like ‘Just Another Day in Paradise’
and ‘American Child’ were everywhere.”
Billy Dukes, Taste of Country
Phil Vassar is one of country music’s great singer/songwriters and he continues to turn out music that captures the heart and soul.  His upcoming appearance at Thrasher-Horne Center is one event no fan of country music will want to miss. Special guest Russell Dickerson will appear with Phil Vassar at the Thrasher-Horne Center.
Dickerson is a Nashville native who loves being on the road and playing shows. He is an artist who isn't satisfied with simply producing, packaging and shipping his music out. Watching other people listening to the music inspires him, a quality that is evident in his captivating ability to entertain. He says, "I love meeting the fans. I love hearing their stories, taking photos and becoming friends. That's what it's all about." 
Coming sooner to Thrasher-Horne Center
Florence K in Thrasher-Horne Center Cabaret Theater, Friday, April 15, at 7:30 PM
Florence K’s first album, Live at Lion D’Or, was launched in 2005. Since then, she has created a unique place for herself in her hometown in Quebec and also on the international music scene. Her two studio albums Bossa Blue (2006) and La Historia De Lola (2008) both won Félix Awards for World Music Album of the Year. In 2010, she released Havana Angels and it was a smash hit. Florence K always delivers music that’s fresh and original.
Comedy Adventure Dog Show, Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix in Association with DCA Productions, Saturday, April 16, 3:00 p.m.
Sit! Stay! Get ready to howl! Prepare yourself for a highly entertaining “dog day afternoon” at Thrasher-Horne Center.
Johnny Peers and his personality-plus canines are coming to tickle your funny bone! A Ringling Brothers Clown College graduate, Johnny Peers has been working with dogs since he got his first puppy, Freckles, a Beagle mix, from the Humane Society. Since their 1980 debut, the Muttville Comix have appeared on David Letterman, Primetime Live and Circus of the Stars. They’ve also performed at Disneyland, Busch Gardens, the Big Apple Circus, the Royal Hanneford Circus, and even The White House! This show is an amusing extravaganza for the whole family and for the dog lover in each of us.
The Clay County Community Band
Sunday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m.
The Clay County Community Band returns to Thrasher-Horne Center to perform the popular hits, classic composers, traditional marches and big swing band favorites that have earned them the honor of being called Clay County's official "band." Vocalist Bonalyn Boyd will be joining the band for this performance. This is one event you will not want to miss!
Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Hal Holbrook served in the U.S. Army in Newfoundland during World War II. When the war was over, he attended Denison University and graduated in 1948. Over the next several years, he developed a one-man show in which he impersonated Mark Twain, one of the greatest writers in American Literature. Holbrook has been performing as Mark Twain ever since.
Just as Mark Twain brought his wit and humor to far-flung places, Holbrook-as-Twain has also performed around the world, from Saudi Arabia to Warsaw, from Edinburgh to New Delhi. Holbrook is not simply an impersonator of Mark Twain. He is also one of the world’s leading authorities on Twain.
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Please share this article with your friends and colleagues. The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
In this article, I’ve written about country singer/songwriter Phil Vassar’s upcoming performance at the Thrasher-Horne Center on May 7th. I’ve also noted several shows coming up in April, including Florence K on Friday, April 15; Comedy Adventure Dog Show on Saturday, April 16; The Clay County Community Band on Sunday, April 17; and Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! on Friday, April 22.
Tickets for these events and others are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 
Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.
We appreciate you taking the time to visit us. If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below.

Monday, February 29, 2016

ONCE - THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA PREMIERE!

Sunday, May 1st, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.


In 2007, the charming, off-beat Irish film Once opened to glowing reviews and quickly developed a fervent following. The touching, lyrical musical tells the story of two down-on-their-luck musicians, an angst-ridden Dublin street singer/songwriter who works as a vacuum repairman, and a Czech immigrant who sells flowers in order to support herself and her family. Girl (as she is known) initiates a friendship with Guy (as he is known), and in the course of a week they make music together, fall in love and part, but not before changing each other’s lives. The movie’s stars, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, also wrote much of the score, and received an Oscar for their beautiful ballad, “Falling Slowly.”

Once is simultaneously graceful and gritty, and has a naturalism and intimacy that are generally best achieved in film. The 12 adult members of the cast play at least one instrument, and are onstage virtually throughout the show. “I didn’t want anyone onstage who we didn’t get to know intimately,” says director John Tiffany. By individualizing each character, adds writer Enda Walsh, “we built a community, and that became the heart of the piece. They’re an ensemble of misshapen people who sing and tell the story. Watching them play the music and sing and find their voice is very beautiful and very strong. But in addition to making it about community, we also wanted the show to be hugely communal. So how do we do that? We allow the audience onstage.”

Prior to the start of the show, the audience is welcome to come onstage and mingle with the cast, who are having a jam session. This bonding ritual doesn’t merely break the fourth wall; it obliterates it. “We wanted the audience to own the experience,” says Walsh. As the show unfolds, the focus is, of course, on the relationship between Guy and Girl, but the audience also catches glimpses of the lives of the other characters. “We needed to be sure that there are all these other love stories in the air. Each person is riffing off a love that’s been lost, that got away. That was the key: for the audience to feel part of the experience, and also to look at the people on the stage and go, ‘They’re us.’”
               
The material has proved to be as powerful onstage as it is on film. “I think what’s very moving about the piece is how sometimes we meet people who we don’t necessarily stay with forever, but they give us the resources to move on to the next part of our life,” says Tiffany. “There’s something very truthful in that. People have said to me, ‘When I was sitting in the theatre watching Once, I felt like I was watching it with everyone I’ve ever loved, whether or not they’re still in my life.’”

Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams, not living in fear, and the power of music to connect all of us.

Reviews of Once, The Musical
Once uses song and dance in a way I’ve never experienced in an American musical.” New York Times
Once is unusually fun and heartfelt musical theatre. The cast is on fire.” The New Yorker
“A love story played with fierce sincerity and unexpected honesty.” Wall Street Journal
“There are plenty of romantic Broadway musicals, but Once is part of a much smaller and rarefied group: musicals that are actually wise about the joys and anguish of love and life.” Chicago Tribune
“Unbridled Joy!” Vogue
“Pure, moving, inventive, and irresistible. Once makes a lasting connection.” Associated Press
“A rhapsodic unique musical that’s tender, funny, and soaring.” Variety
Once charms us with a rare combination of intelligence, warmth, and  musicality.” Bloomburg News
“A new musical to celebrate. Wonderful and enchanting.” Newsday
“Once in a blue moon, perhaps once in a decade or so, a new Broadway musical breaks the rules, challenges expectations, and delights audiences with something they didn’t realize they were longing for. Once is that musical.” Columbus Dispatch
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Once has been produced in Dublin, London, Melbourne, and Seoul. The second North American touring production began in January of this year. See Once at the Thrasher-Horne Center on Sunday, May 1st.

Coming Soon to the Thrasher-Horne Center
Catch the Fever – Saturday Night Fever – at Thrasher-Horne Center
7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 7th, and Tuesday, March 8th
Lights! Action! Disco! You should be dancing, yeah!
John Travolta danced his way onto the big screen in Saturday Night Fever in 1977. Saturday Night Fever, The Musical, is a spectacular touring production based on the groundbreaking movie.
Feel the energy Monday, March 7th, and Tuesday, March 8th, at the Thrasher-Horne Center. Saturday Night Fever is packed with hits from the Bee Gees, including "Stayin' Alive," "Night Fever," "Jive Talking," "You Should Be Dancing," and "How Deep is Your Love."  
HAL HOLBROOK IN MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!
Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Hal Holbrook’s first performance of Mark Twain Tonight! was in 1954 at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania. Holbrook has been performing as Mark Twain ever since.  Just as Mark Twain brought his wit and humor to far-flung places, Holbrook-as-Twain has also performed around the world.
“Uncanny. A dazzling display of virtuosity.” The New Yorker
“The combination of Holbrook’s physical and vocal talents and the potency of Twain’s words is a mesmerizing thing to behold.” Washington Post
”One of the treasures of the American Theatre.” Life Magazine
“Uproariously funny!” Time Magazine
“From the moment Hal Holbrook steps on stage, you simply take for granted that Mark Twain himself is up there talking to you.” Wall Street Journal
“A genuine piece of theatrical history! Mark Twain Tonight! remains the standard bearer in terms of biographical solo drama.”  New York Post
Hal Halbrook has won five Emmy Awards. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and twice for awards from the Screen Actors’ Guild.  He has appeared in dozens of movies on both the big screen and on TV. In 1999, Holbrook was inducted into the New York Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was presented with the National Medal of the Humanities by President Bush at the White House.
Don’t Miss Hal Holbrook as he performs Mark Twain Tonight! at the Thrasher-Horne Center on Friday, April 22nd.
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Please share this article with your friends and colleagues. The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
In this article, I’ve written about the upcoming Northeast Florida Premiere of the acclaimed musical Once. The performance will be at the Thrasher-Horne Center on Sunday, May 1st.  I’ve also noted other upcoming performances, including Saturday Night Fever, The Musical, and Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight!
Tickets for these events and others are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 
Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.
We appreciate you taking the time to visit us. If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Coming in April to Thrasher-Horne Center



April 15th is traditionally the last day to file federal income tax returns. For many Americans, it is a day for breathing a sigh of relief and then figuring out what to do with their enormous income tax refunds. It’s the perfect time of year to visit the Thrasher-Horne Center for an evening out or for an afternoon show the whole family can enjoy.

Florence K in Thrasher-Horne Center Cabaret Theater
Friday, April 15 at 7:30 PM
Florence K’s first album, Live at Lion D’Or, was launched in 2005. Since then, she has created a unique place for herself in her hometown in Quebec and also on the international music scene. Her two studio albums Bossa Blue (2006) and La Historia De Lola (2008) both won Félix Awards for World Music Album of the Year. In 2010, she released Havana Angels and it was a smash hit. Florence K always delivers music that’s fresh and original.

“Her strength is her ability to just be inspired by the past to get us something new and current, which in addition fits perfectly with her personality. Florence K definitely has a real raw talent.” Musicmania.com, November 2013

Florence K will be performing in the intimate setting of the Cabaret Theater at Thrasher-Horne Center. This performance by a rising star promises to be very memorable.

Comedy Adventure Dog Show, Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix in Association with DCA Productions, Saturday, April 16, 3:00 p.m.
Sit! Stay! Get ready to howl! Prepare yourself for a highly entertaining “dog day afternoon” at Thrasher-Horne Center.
Johnny Peers and his personality-plus canines are coming to tickle your funny bone! A Ringling Brothers Clown College graduate, Johnny Peers has been working with dogs since he got his first puppy, Freckles, a Beagle mix, from the Humane Society. Since their 1980 debut, the Muttville Comix have appeared on David Letterman, Primetime Live and Circus of the Stars. They’ve also performed at Disneyland, Busch Gardens, the Big Apple Circus, the Royal Hanneford Circus, and even The White House!

“A truly funny, slapstick dog act.”
Providence Journal-Bulletin

This show is an amusing extravaganza for the whole family and for the dog lover in each of us. Most of the stars in this show were rescued from shelters. These mutts prove that breeding isn’t everything! The performers include Daphne, the world’s only skateboarding Basset Hound; Squeaky, the ladder climbing Fox Terrier; Mr. Pepe, who only responds to commands in Spanish; and Sir Winston, the Pointer mix who only answers to “Sir.” The talented dogs in this hilarious show were winners The Animal Planet Pet Star Contest. 

The Clay County Community Band, Sunday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m.


The Clay County Community Band returns to Thrasher-Horne Center to perform the popular hits, classic composers, traditional marches and big swing band favorites that have earned them the honor of being called Clay County's official "band." Vocalist Bonalyn Boyd will be joining the band for this performance. This is one event you will not want to miss!
Since its founding in 1989, the Clay County Community Band continues to develop and expand upon its mission of providing an arena for local musicians to come together to share in the joy of making music and to develop their talents in both rehearsal and performance.

Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Hal Holbrook served in the U.S. Army in Newfoundland during World War II. When the war was over, he attended Denison University and graduated in 1948. Over the next several years, he developed a one-man show in which he impersonated Mark Twain, one of the greatest writers in American Literature. Holbrook has been performing as Mark Twain ever since.

“Uncanny. A dazzling display of virtuosity.”
The New Yorker

Holbrook appeared as Twain on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. In 1959, he performed as Twain in an off Broadway venue. After that, the U.S. Department of State sponsored an international tour. In 1966, the show premiered on Broadway. Holbrook won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. That was followed by an Emmy Award nomination for the 1967 television broadcast of the production.

“One of the treasures of the American Theatre.” Life Magazine

Just as Mark Twain brought his wit and humor to far-flung places, Holbrook-as-Twain has also performed around the world, from Saudi Arabia to Warsaw, from Edinburgh to New Delhi. Holbrook is not simply an impersonator of Mark Twain. He is also one of the world’s leading authorities on Twain.

“A genuine piece of theatrical history! Mark Twain Tonight! remains the standard bearer in terms of biographical solo drama.”  New York Post

Hal Halbrook began his incomparable career in show business over half a century ago. He has appeared in dozens of movies on both the big screen and on TV. He has been nominated for a dozen Emmy Awards and has won five times. He has also been nominated twice for prestigious awards from the Screen Actors’ Guild and for an Academy Award for his supporting role in Into the Wild.  In 1999, Holbrook was inducted into the New York Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was presented with the National Medal of the Humanities by President Bush at the White House. 
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Please share this article with your friends and colleagues. The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
In this article, I’ve written about performances coming up at the Thrasher-Horne Center in April. These include Florence K on Friday, April 15;  Comedy Adventure Dog Show on Saturday, April 16; The Clay County Community Band on Sunday, April 17; and Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! on Friday, April 22.
Tickets for these events and others are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the nicest venues of its type in Northeast Florida. From concerts by renowned artists, to live theater, to dance, to magic and other fantastic shows, you can see it all at the Thrasher Horne-Center! 
Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. People will appreciate learning about what they have been missing.
We appreciate you taking the time to visit us. If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below.