Sat Feb 11 2012
A diverse lineup of talent is on tap for the downtown Grand Theatre’s second performance season.
“We’re excited about the high-quality events that we were able to attract for the upcoming season,” said Bill Cull, the Grand’s president. “We will offer something for virtually every taste in the 2010-11 season.”
Motown legends The Temptations will kick off the season in concerts scheduled for Sept. 25 and 26.
The Temptations ruled the airwaves in the 1960s, producing hits such as “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Get Ready.” For more than 40 years, the five-man group has wowed audiences with their distinctive harmonies and intricate dance steps.
The concerts are sponsored by the Alltech Fortnight Festival, celebrating the upcoming 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington.
The 100th birthday of the founder of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, will be observed this fall when The Del McCoury Band comes to the Grand Oct. 2.
McCoury, who was lead guitarist and singer for Monroe in the 1960s, carries the banner today for new generations of traditional Bluegrass fans.
His sons, Ron, banjo, and Rob, mandolin, join McCoury in a high-energy show. Rob is a nine-time recipient of the award for the top mandolin player by the Bluegrass Music Association.
Singer-songwriter Ben Sollee will perform at the Grand Oct. 8. Sollee accompanies his vocals with an instrument unusual for popular music – a cello. Sollee, a Lexington native, won critical acclaim for his 2008 debut album, “Learning to Bend.”
In addition to performing at the Grand, Sollee will participate in the Governor’s Autumn Bicycle Ride Across Kentucky, an annual three-day event that benefits the theatre.
Debby Boone – best known for her big 1977 hit “You Light Up My Life” – will perform Oct. 9.
Music is a family affair for Debby. She is the daughter of rock ‘n’ roll icon Pat Boone.
It is perhaps less well known that she is a daughter-in-law of the late Rosemary Clooney, the Maysville, Ky. singing legend. Boone will perform some of Miss Clooney’s most memorable songs over a remarkable 50-plus-year career in a tribute called “Reflections on Rosemary Clooney.”
America’s oldest equity theater company will stage “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Grand on Nov. 7. The Barter Theatre, based in Abington, Va., was formed in the 1930s and served as the training ground for the likes of Patricia Neal, Gregory Peck and Ernest Borgnine. The show is sponsored by a grant from South Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council.
Local jazz virtuosos Vince DiMartino and Miles Osland will help Frankfort celebrate the holiday season when the 16-piece Dimartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra takes the Grand stage Dec. 10.
“DOJO” will entertain with holiday music as well as standards by jazz giants such as Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie.
Grand’s diverse season will include a performance by the acclaimed New Shanghai Circus on Feb. 8. This troupe of young Chinese acrobats has delighted audiences throughout the world with their remarkable athleticism and artistry. The New Shanghai Circus is a traveling company direct from China that displays its acrobatic skills as it tours throughout the country.
Master guitarist John Jorgenson will bring his quintet to the Grand Feb. 19. Jorgenson is considered among today’s most gifted exponents of the gypsy guitar style championed by Django Reinhardt.
Jorgenson was a long-time guitarist for Elton John and is the 2009 winner of a Grammy for best guitar player.
Among last season’s highlights were two sold-out performances by the prestigious New York Theatre Ballet. The dance troupe returns to the Grand March 9 for a program that will include a contemporary dance, “Septet,” choreographed by the late Merse Cunningham based on music by Erik Satie, followed by a complete performance of “Alice in Wonderland Follies.”
Famous arias from renowned operas will be presented when Dr. Everett McCorvey returns to the Grand with a chamber orchestra and notable singers from Opera Noire of New York and the American Spiritual Ensemble for a March 16 concert.
McCorvey is director of the University of Kentucky School of Voice and founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble, and serves as entertainment manager for the World Equestrian Games.
Veteran Americana singer and songwriter Darrell Scott will perform at the Grand Theatre April 1. Scott is traveling this summer with former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant in a 12-city North American tour.
His songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as The Dixie Chicks, Keb’ Mo’ and Sam Bush.
On April 15, the energy and artistry of flamenco will be on display at the Grand when Flamenco Louisville presents “La Escencia del Flamenco.”
The program, an original creation of Flamenco Louisville founders Paula Collins and Diana Dinicola, will showcase nationally known flamenco guitarists and singers.
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