Brian Stokes Mitchell returns to Center Stage this August!
Hailed as “Broadway’s last leading man,” Brian Stokes Mitchell brings his
iconic voice and commanding stage presence to Northern Michigan. The two-time
Tony Award-winning singer’s career covers Broadway, television, film, and
concert appearances, including two performances at the White House. Stokes has
worked with greats such as Marvin Hamlisch, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and
even the Muppets!

He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards
for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tony-nominated
performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King
Hedley II, and Ragtime. Other notable Broadway shows
include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Shuffle Along. In 2016, he was awarded his
second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony for his Charitable
work with The Actors Fund. That same year Stokes was inducted into the
Theatre Hall of Fame.

“Always…Patsy
Cline. Always a hit.”

– BILOXI SUN HERALD

Coming to Center Stage in August
of 2021, Always…Patsy Cline, created
and originally directed by Ted Swindley, has enjoyed great success worldwide
and has been one of the most produced musicals in America. Always…Patsy Cline is more than a tribute to the
legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in
1963. The show is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a
fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas
honky-tonk in 1961 and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death.
The musical play, complete with down-home country humor, true emotion, and even
some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits
such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Walking After Midnight”…27 songs in all.

“Always…Patsy
Cline. Always a hit.”

– BILOXI SUN HERALD

Coming to Center Stage in August
of 2021, Always…Patsy Cline, created
and originally directed by Ted Swindley, has enjoyed great success worldwide
and has been one of the most produced musicals in America. Always…Patsy Cline is more than a tribute to the
legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in
1963. The show is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a
fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas
honky-tonk in 1961 and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death.
The musical play, complete with down-home country humor, true emotion, and even
some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits
such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Walking After Midnight”…27 songs in all.

“Always…Patsy
Cline. Always a hit.”

– BILOXI SUN HERALD

Coming to Center Stage in August
of 2021, Always…Patsy Cline, created
and originally directed by Ted Swindley, has enjoyed great success worldwide
and has been one of the most produced musicals in America. Always…Patsy Cline is more than a tribute to the
legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in
1963. The show is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a
fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas
honky-tonk in 1961 and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death.
The musical play, complete with down-home country humor, true emotion, and even
some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits
such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Walking After Midnight”…27 songs in all.

“The Supernatural Child of
Music”

-Xinhua News, , SMG
Shanghai Television, Family Education Times,

Greeted by enthusiastic
audiences worldwide, pianist Chaojun Yang has enjoyed an international
performing career since the age of 4. At a very young age, Chaojun appeared on
concert stages in her native city of Shanghai and Hong Kong, Taiwan, France,
Australia, Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, North Korea, Poland, the USA,
Canada, Italy, and Germany. Chaojun has received awards from numerous
competitions such as first place in the Shanghai Student Arts Festival Young
Artists Competition, first place in the Morningside Music Bridge Chamber Music
Competition in Calgary, Canada, and the top prize in the North American Round
of Hastings International Competition.

As a recitalist, she has
performed in some of the greatest venues throughout the world including the
Sydney Opera House, Detroit Symphony Hall, and Shanghai Symphonic Hall. She has
performed as a soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Xiamen
Philharmonic Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, the Interlochen Arts Academy
Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

Spotlighted as a child music
prodigy with sensitive musicality by major Chinese press, her talents for
expression were on display at performances at the Sydney Opera House,
Braunschweig Classix Festival in Germany, Pianofest in Hamptons, Chopin House
in Poland, Detroit Symphony Hall, Haikou Great Hall of the People, the Shanghai
Grand Theater, Shanghai Concert Hall, and Shanghai Symphonic Hall. Chaojun has
received commendations from the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Government and
was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award in May 2013.

At age 9, Chaojun was admitted
to the Shanghai Conservatory Primary and Middle School, where she was the only
pianist to be cited as an outstanding student for six consecutive years. At age
12, she was the youngest student to be admitted into the Idyllwild Arts Academy
with a full scholarship. At age 14, she was accepted by Purcell School of Music
in England and received a generous merit scholarship. When Chaojun turned 16,
she came to the United States to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy to
pursue her musical and academic passions. The wonderful rural setting in
Michigan inspired her in many ways so she decided to continue her studies in
the United States. Among 13 offers she received from top conservatories and
universities, she chose Bard College for their unique 5-year double major
program, and graduated in 2019 with the Bachelor of Music and the Bachelor of
Arts degree, majoring both in Piano Performance and French Studies.

Chaojun
is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree with a full scholarship under
Professor Hung-Kuan Chen at the Juilliard School

Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last
three decades, bringing the music of The
Great American Songbook to the world. From recordings that
have earned him five Grammy Award nominations to his Emmy nominated PBS-TV
specials, acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe – in addition to
his appearances at iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace,
Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and Sydney Opera House – his work as an educator
and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of
our time.

Feinstein, a self-taught pianist originally from Ohio, has risen
over his career to be one of the premier interpreters of American popular songs.
Feinstein earned his fifth Grammy Award nomination in 2009 for The Sinatra Project,
his CD celebrating the music of “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” The Sinatra Project, Volume II: The Good Life, was
released in 2011. He released the CDs The
Power Of Two – collaborating with “Glee” and “30 Rock” star
Cheyenne Jackson – and Cheek
To Cheek, recorded with Broadway
legend Barbara Cook. For Feinstein’s CD We
Dreamed These Days, he co-wrote the title song with Dr. Maya
Angelou. Through his live performances, recordings, film and television
appearances, and songwriting, Feinstein is an all-star force in American music.

The world-renowned Paul Taylor
Dance Company pays tribute to its late founder with “The Celebration Tour.” As
part of an international celebration of Taylor – who died in 2018 after helping
shape the art of modern dance during his 64-year career.

Paul
Taylor (1930-2018) was one of the most accomplished artists this nation has
ever produced. He established the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954, serving as
both a virtuoso performer and a trailblazing choreographer until 1974 when he
turned exclusively to choreography. During his 64-year career as a dance maker,
Mr. Taylor helped define and shape the homegrown American art of modern dance
through a matchless repertoire with an extraordinary range of subject matter.
In 2015 he established Paul Taylor American Modern Dance with the goal of
creating an institutional home for modern dance at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Following Mr. Taylor’s passing, his hand-chosen successor, Company member
Michael Novak, was named Artistic Director. Today, the Company performs Mr.
Taylor’s repertoire, including 147 dances and other selections
by outstanding modern dance choreographers, and has toured in more than 500 cities in 64 countries around the globe.  

Viva Las Vegas!

Follywood takes you on a whirlwind adventure to Sin City. This year, what happens in Vegas… becomes a variety show in Curtis!

Gert ready for tons of laughs with all your favorite live and “not so live” numbers. Sit back, relax, and let the cast of multi-aged, local performers, entertain you, Curtis-style.

$20 Adults/ $5 Students 18 or under.

Call the ECA office for more information 906.586.9974

Viva Las Vegas!

Follywood takes you on a whirlwind adventure to Sin City. This year, what happens in Vegas… becomes a variety show in Curtis!

Gert ready for tons of laughs with all your favorite live and “not so live” numbers. Sit back, relax, and let the cast of multi-aged, local performers, entertain you, Curtis-style.

$20 Adults/ $5 Students 18 or under.

Call the ECA office for more information 906.586.9974

“A singer so influential
that she’s shaped everyone from Miranda Lambert to Margo Price to Brandi
Carlile.”

-Sterogum,

The country music icon’s sultry
voice and vivacious stage presence make Tanya Tucker one of the most admired
and respected female vocalists in the country music genre. Tanya’s reign
includes 23 Top 40 albums and a string of 56 Top 40 singles, 10 of which
reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. Along the way, she has provided
some of the biggest country music songs of each decade, including the hit
“Delta Dawn.” Tucker is the recipient of numerous awards, and in August
2016, the Academy of Country Music honored Tucker with the Cliffie Stone Icon
Award during the 10th Annual ACM Honors Awards show.

Tanya Tucker engraved her name
in the country music history books when she was just 13 years old. In the next
decade, Tucker became one of the few child performers to transition into
adulthood and maintain her fan base. During her career, she’s notched a
remarkable streak of hits, including the chart-topping “What’s Your Mama’s
Name,” “Blood Red and Goin’ Down,” and “Would You Lay with
Me (In a Field of Stone).” Her brand new album While I’m Livin’ has received a multitude of
critical praise including Entertainment Weekly saying “though the
60-year-old star has released more than two dozen albums of fresh material in
her four-decade career…she has never issued anything as raw, pure, and edgy
as While I’m Livin’.“

“If the human voice has the
power to move you, you will be touched by Denyce Graves.”

-Atlanta Journal-Constitution,

Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled
widespread and critical acclaim in performances on four continents. USA
Today identifies her as “an operatic superstar of the 21st
Century.” The combination of her expressive, rich vocalism, elegant stage
presence, and exciting theatrical abilities allows her to pursue a wide breadth
of operatic portrayals and to delight audiences in concert and recital
appearances.

Denyce Graves has become particularly well-known to
operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson
et Dalila. These signature roles have brought Ms. Graves to the
Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, San
Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The
Washington Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin,
Opernhaus Zürich, Teatro Real in Madrid, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera,
Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles Opera, and the Festival Maggio
Musicale in Florence. Ms. Graves was seen on the Emmy-award winning BBC special
“The Royal Opera House,” highlighting her debut performances there.
She has been a frequent guest on television shows, including Sesame
Street, The Charlie Rose Show, and Larry King Live. In
1996 Ms. Graves was the subject of an Emmy-award winning profile on CBS’s 60
Minutes.

Laura Ward is an excellent accompanist and a genuine
equal in music-making. As a distinguished collaborative pianist, she is known
for her technical ability and vast knowledge of repertoire and styles. Concert
engagements have taken her to Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Boston’s
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Teatro Colon, the Spoleto Festival (Italy),
the Colmar International Music Festival, and Saint Denis Festival in France.

Since breaking out in 2010 with 2X-platinum #1
chart-breaker “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” husband and wife team
Keifer and Shawna Thompson have delivered two Top 5 Country albums and another
romantic #1 hit with platinum-certified “If I Didn’t Have You” — plus
two more Top 10s with “I Got You” and “Everything I Shouldn’t Be
Thinking About.” With five Top 20 hits, nearly 1 billion digital streams,
and a social media following of over 1.9 million, the Reviver Entertainment duo
has been honored with multiple GRAMMY nominations and wins at
the ACM and CMA Awards for Vocal Duo
of the Year. They have also tallied national television appearances
on Today, Fox & Friends, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!,
Conan, Hallmark’s Home & Family, and CBS This Morning.
Thompson Square’s new single, “Masterpiece,” is poised to follow in
their career success. Inspired by their three-year-old son Cooper and written
solely by Keifer Thompson, “Masterpiece” also serves as the title track
of their third studio album, which was produced by the duo alongside GRAMMY winner
Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift), perennial hitmaker Dann Huff (Keith Urban) and
Ilya Toshinsky.

For over half a century, B.B. King and his band
defined blues to the world. Now, the B.B. King Blues Band members continue
touring in remembrance of B.B. King along with additional seasoned blues
musicians: James “Boogaloo” Bolden, Claudette King, Russell Jackson, Michael
Lee (from The Voice), Wilbert Crosby, Darrell Lavigne, Myron Jackson, and
Brandon Jackson. This is your chance to experience and celebrate these
incredible legends, with their combined 100 years of musical talent, live on
stage.

The Wiener Sängerknaben or Vienna Boys’ Choir is the world’s
foremost children’s choral group. It is among the oldest of all musical
organizations, having been founded on July 7, 1498. Today, there are 100
choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen, divided into four touring
choirs. Each Choir spends nine to eleven weeks of the academic year on tour.
Together, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost
half a million spectators worldwide. Over the centuries, illustrious composers
have written masterpieces for the Boys’ Choir of the Imperial Chapel, including
Mozart, Bruckner, Gluck, and Schubert. Many great musicians got their start as
members of the Boys’ Choir; among them were the great conductors Hans Richter,
Clemens Krauss, and Lovro von Matacic.

In 1498, the Roman Emperor Maximilian I wished boys’ voices to
be added to the Choir of the Imperial Chapel or Hofkapelle, thus established a
tradition of having the boys sing in weekly Sunday masses in the Imperial
Chapel of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, a practice that continues today. The
Choir has a long history and tradition that has been educating children for
more than 500 years.