Jay Leno to perform on January 14, 2017: Tickets available to Thrasher-Horne Center members now!

One of the benefits of becoming a Thrasher-Horne Center member is that members can purchase tickets to events before they are available to the general public. For example, Jay Leno will perform at Thrasher-Horne Center on Saturday, January 14, 2017, at 7:30 PM. Tickets to that show will not be available to the public until May 2^nd, and we anticipate that they will sell quickly.

Thrasher-Horne Center members can get tickets now!

“Jay Leno marks the first announcement of many top-notch performers we have planned for this next season,” said Thrasher-Horne Center Executive Director, Denton Yockey. “We look forward to his comic style that has entertained so many on ‘The Tonight Show’ for so many years.”

Jay Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.” His career has included top-rated TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see Jay Leno! Ticket prices range from $69 to $129 with all fees included. Tickets and more information are available at (904) 276-6815 or online at THcenter.org.

Experience more as a Thrasher-Horne Center member

“In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities. The arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country.”
Paul G. Allen, Co-Founder, Microsoft

Thanks to all of the friends and supporters of the Thrasher-Horne Center, 2015 was a wonderful year! We’re especially thankful for our many members and financial contributors. They made it possible for the Thrasher-Horne Center to continue in its efforts to shine a light on the arts in Northeast Florida.

Denton Yockey, Executive Director

We are committed to developing and nurturing the artistic potential and growth of the students, residents and visitors of the community by offering the very best of professional theater, dance, music performances, and visual art exhibits. All of our members and donors should be very proud that they, through their contributions to Thrasher-Horne Center, helped to achieve the following:

• Over 7,500 students and teachers from schools throughout Northeast Florida participated in field trips where they learned about the visual and performing arts.
• The School Time Series enriched the lives of students with many entertaining, educational, and engaging performances such as Charlotte’s Web, Dinosaur Train Live! The BFG, and Miss Nelson is Missing.
• Thrasher-Horne Center kicked off its inaugural season of Broadway Orange Park with a stunning production of the beloved classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The next Broadway show in the season was Ragtime in January, followed by Annie in February and Saturday Night Fever in March.  Coming soon is the Northeast Florida Premiere of Once.  

In 2015, Thrasher-Horne Center also hosted concerts by some of the finest recording artists around, including Lyle Lovett, America, Boz Scaggs, and Michael McDonald. Other memorable events included the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra conducted by Courtney Lewis and the National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China: Peking Dreams. Comedian Bill Engvall’s hilarious performance played to a full house and R5’s tour launching concert broke all of our standing box office records.

"The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature, and help to shape our identity. What is there that can transcend deep difference and stubborn divisions? The arts. They have a wonderful universality. Art has the potential to unify. It can speak in many languages without a translator. The arts do not discriminate.
The arts can lift us up."
Former Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

2016 is off to a great start!

In January, Thodos Dance Chicago presented its critically-acclaimed modern ballet, A Light in the Dark: the Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Creedence Clearwater Revisited visited in January and Melissa Etheridge had an unforgettable show on the main stage in February. The Moscow Festival Ballet presented Sleeping Beauty on February 21^st. 

Thrasher-Horne Center Memberships

Thrasher-Horne Center Membership donations are available starting at $75.00. Member benefits include priority ticket ordering, discounts, VIP parking, and more depending on your donation level. Member benefits are good for regular Thrasher-Horne Center presentations for one year from the purchase date.

Members joining at the Silver, Gold or Platinum Circle levels can enjoy relaxing in the Thrasher-Horne Center Circle Club. This lounge-like atmosphere features complimentary hors d' oeuvres and a cash bar. The Circle Club is open one hour prior to most main stage performances.

Membership Levels
$75 – Friend
$150 – Donor
$300 - Contributor 
$500 – Silver Circle
$1,000 – Gold Circle
$1,500 – Platinum Circle

Platinum Circle members enjoy all of the following benefits. Other levels of membership feature two or more of the listed benefits.

• Priority Ticket Ordering & Pre-Sale Announcements
• Membership Recognition
• Option to exchange tickets for another performance or Gift Certificate
• 15% discount on ticket purchases all season long!
• 10% discount on rentals at Thrasher-Horne Center
• Thrasher-Horne Circle Club admittance for up to eight
• Thirty complimentary drink coupons
• Guaranteed reserved seats during Priority Ticket Ordering and Pre-Sale periods.
• One Named Reserved Season Parking Spot with VIP Season Parking Pass

For more information on member benefits, go to the membership page.  

“Aeschylus and Plato are remembered today long after the triumphs of Imperial Athens are gone. Dante outlived the ambitions of thirteenth century Florence. Goethe stands serenely above the politics of Germany, and I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over cities, we too will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.”
John F. Kennedy

What are people saying about the Thrasher-Horne Center?

“The facilities are great and the staff is great. In the last ten years I’ve seen shows that I never would have seen elsewhere, including my first ballet. If you haven’t been out to the Thrasher-Horne Center, come on out and wave to me when you see me.” John Haas
 
“I’m an artist and I was invited to exhibit in the Florida Artists’ Gallery last Spring. It was a real pleasure to work with all the staff and to exhibit my works alongside works by the late Charlie Brown, who was a local legend. The Thrasher-Horne Center is a real gem in Northeast Florida.” Sarah Cooks Flare
 
“I come here quite often because there’s a big variety of shows with events for the whole family. They really keep up with the times. If you haven’t been to the Thrasher-Horne Center, I suggest that you check out this great venue.” John Vedas

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The Thrasher-Horne Center plays a unique and significant role in the cultural life of the surrounding community. It’s a venue which hosts artistic performances that are not available elsewhere in Clay County. The permanent exhibits as well as the seasonal exhibits give visitors the opportunity to see works of art that they would not otherwise encounter.

Without the generous support of members and donors, it wouldn’t be possible for the Thrasher-Horne Center to continue to serve the community as it has in the past. Please consider becoming a Thrasher-Horne Center Member.

For more details about Thrasher-Horne Center Membership, go to our Membership page.

For more information on additional giving opportunities, please call (904) 276-6815.

Donations can also be made online.

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In this article, I’ve written about the Thrasher-Horne Center’s unique contributions to the cultural life of the surrounding community. I’ve also written about Thrasher-Horne Center membership and Jay Leno’s upcoming performance in January 0f 2017.  

Tickets for events are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.

The Thrasher-Horne Center is one of the best 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.

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Bill Engvall at Thrasher-Horne Center on October 2nd

While working as a disc jockey in Dallas, Bill Engvall planned to become a teacher. At a nightclub one evening, he decided to try stand-up comedy. It didn’t take him long to discover that he was good at making people laugh. His ability to connect with an audience by sharing the humor in everyday situations has made Engvall one of the top comedians today and among the busiest.

Engvall attributes his 35 year career to his evolution from joke-teller to storyteller. Indeed, the breadth of his work spans small comedy clubs, nationally touring comedy shows, radio, television, films, albums, and books. Currently, he has been working on a new special called “Just Sell Him for Parts” and you can see him perform live at the Thrasher-Horne Center on Friday, October 2^nd, 2015.

At Home on Television

After moving to Los Angeles to pursue television opportunities, Engvall teamed up with Rosie O’Donnell in a Showtime Special called A Pair of Jokers. He also hosted A&E’s Evening at the Improv and appeared on both The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.

In 1992, Engvall won the American Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up Comedian. After appearing in episodes of Designing Women, Engvall went on to portray Buck Overton on Delta, an ABC sitcom starring Delta Burke. On the very popular Jeff Foxworthy Show, Engvall played Jeff’s best friend, Bill Pelton. It wasn’t much of a stretch since they are very good friends.

Engvall has hosted award shows, as well as several television programs such as LINGO for GSN, Country Fried Videos and Mobile Home Disasters for Country Music Television. He has also appeared in Kiss at Pine Lake for the Hallmark Channel, a three-episode arc in Hawthorne for TNT, and Bait Shop with Billy Ray Cyrus on USA Network. Eventually, Engvall produced and starred in his own self-titled sitcom for three seasons on TBS, and went on to become one of the stars of the sketch comedy show Blue Collar TV for the WB network.

In addition to the wildly successful Blue Collar Comedy concerts (which are some of the most watched specials in Comedy Central’s history), Engvall has many Comedy Central specials including Bill Engvall Live in 2004 and Aged and Confused in 2009. He reunited with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy on Them Idiots Whirled Tour, which was filmed for a March 2012 special for CMT.

Just a Guy – A Very Busy Guy

The small screen has just been the beginning for Engvall, though. His television and stage success translated on to the big screen with Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie in 2003. He has also appeared in other films, including Strawberry Wine with Christina Ricci, Bed and Breakfast with Dean Cain, and Delta Farce. Engvall recently starred as Coach Z in the movie Catching Faith.

Engvall’s first album, Here’s Your Sign, was number one on the Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 straight weeks. It went on to high rankings on both Billboard’s Current Country Album Chart and Top 200 Album Chart. His single of the same name reached Gold Status after ranking number one on Billboard’s Country Singles Sales Chart for ten weeks and number 30 on the Billboard’s Singles Sales Chart. In 1997, Engvall won the “Best Selling Comedy Album” award at the annual NSRM convention, outselling albums by Chris Rock and Adam Sandler.

His second CD, Dorkfish, was certified gold (500,000 copies), and was – yet again – ranked number one on Billboard’s Comedy Chart. His subsequent comedy albums, 15° Off Cool and Aged and Confused, both debuted at number one on the Billboard Comedy Chart.

Engvall has even written several books, including Here’s Your Sign, You Don't Have to Be Dumb to Be Stupid, and his well-reviewed autobiography, Bill Engvall – Just A Guy. For someone who says he’s just a guy, he has been a very busy guy at that.

The Importance of Laughter

When asked why comedy is important, Engvall said, “I think that in this day and age people have to laugh. I mean look around, people are losing their minds. I can’t even watch the news anymore because I get so depressed. People need a release and I am so glad I am able to provide that.” (Buzz Magazine, October 2015) With that in mind, here are a few of his jokes to make you laugh:

I called my wife up on the cell phone and said “Baby you ain't gonna believe this. We just hit a deer with the airplane.” And there was a silence on the other end of the line followed by “Oh my god! Were you on the ground?” I said, “Nope, Santa was makin’ one last run.”

I pulled the boy close to me and said, “You see that girl? That’s my only little girl. So if you think about huggin’ or kissin’, remember these words. I ain't afraid to go back to prison.”

I called my pilot 2 weeks before I flew and asked him, “I don’t want to get sick, what should I eat?” He said, “Peanut Butter.” I said, “If I eat peanut butter, then I won’t get sick?” He said, “No, but it tastes the same comin’ up as it does goin’ down.”

I might have tried bungee jumping, until I saw that video of that guy whose cord came untied. He didn't know it 'till he hit the ground. Oh, he flew off that tower, hollering at his buddies. "Whoo, check me out, dudes! Oh, that ground is coming up..." WHAM! And what do you say, if you're the operator of that ride, to the next guy in line? "All right dude, you're up."

This guy from L.A. sits down next to me, and he says "You like baseball?" I said, "Oh, man, I love baseball." So he goes "Did you know that if Jesus had played ball, he'd have been the greatest ball player ever?" Like I'm gonna argue with that logic. So I sat there for a second, and then I said "did you know that if Babe Ruth had been the Messiah, the Catholics would have beer and hot dogs at Communion?" He left.

I've come up with the three things you never want to hear at your kid's parent/teacher conference. Number one: "You're only responsible for the first $10,000 worth of damage." Number two: "We have medication for this." And number three: "It was more than an ounce and he was less than a hundred yards from the school."

My wife collects twist ties. Welcome to my world.

Join in on the laughter and get your tickets to see Bill Engvall today!

The Thrasher-Horne Center

The Thrasher-Horne Center has other great performances coming up, including Boz Scaggs in November, Michael McDonald in December, and magician Mike Super in December. Check out the calendar.

The Broadway Season at the Thrasher-Horne Center begins in December. There will be six great shows including Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Ragtime, Always…Patsy Cline, Annie, Saturday Night Fever, and the Northeast Florida Premiere of Once. Subscriptions are on sale now on the Thrasher-Horne Center’s website.

Spread the word about one of Northeast Florida’s best kept secrets! Tell your family and friends about the Thrasher-Horne Center. Share this article with them. They 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, leave it in the comments section below.

In this article, I’ve written about the upcoming performance of comedian Bill Engvall on October 2nd. He has a long list of accomplishments, including his roles on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Blue Collar TV, and Blue Collar Concerts.  Engvall has appeared in many movies and TV shows and he has written several books, including his autobiography, Just a Guy. 

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