The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall goes retro during April, with shows featuring 1940's Big Bands, 102 Years of Broadway, megahit-makers such as The Beach Boys and Neil Sedaka, and even "Barbra & Frank" in a fantasy concert that never was.
There's also today's hot country band Lonestar, the Irish sensation Celtic Crossroads, contemporary swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Broadway's musical comedy Xanadu and a riveting exploration of the Mystical Arts of Tibet.
The month begins with One Night Of Queen (Apr. 1), a stunning live concert recreating and celebrating the music of one of the best live bands in rock history and Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest live performers of his generation. Since winning ITV's Stars In Their Eyes, the show's star Gary Mullen has received worldwide acclaim for his voice, persona and portrayal of Mercury. With his band The Works, Mullen recreates the excitement and atmosphere of a live Queen concert.
With a big band orchestra, singers and dancers, In The Mood (Apr. 2) is a retro 1940's musical that recaptures the music that moved a nation's spirit and helped win a war. The music and dance combines up-tempo big band rhythms and mellow intimate ballads, setting a mood that inspired a future filled with hope, promise and prosperity. Since 1994, when In The Mood won an overwhelming response to a performance at the National Archives in Washington, DC, the show has performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The musical features the In the Mood Singers and Dancers and the String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra.
The hot country band Lonestar (Apr. 3) has had nine Number One singles and won top new vocal group honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1996. Their string of hits includes Tequila Talkin'; Amazed; I'm Already There; My Front Porch Looking In; Smile; Runnin' Away with My Heart; Come Cryin' to Me; Mr. Mom; No News and others. "A bit of rock, a bit of country, and a lot of great sounding music," raves a recent reviewer.
The Beach Boys, the number one selling U.S. band of all time, comes to the Van Wezel on Apr. 6 with a concert that brings audiences to their feet wherever they perform. The Beach Boys' sunny vocal harmonies are one of the Signature Sounds of the modern era. Among rock and roll groups of the 1960's, the group places second only to the Beatles in terms of their overall impact on the Top Forty. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform many of their classic hits, including Good Vibrations, California Girls, I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda, Wouldn't It Be Nice and Kokomo. Mr. John Stamos of Hollywood and TV fame intends to be here and will join The Beach Boys on stage as one of the touring drummers. However, there is always a possibility that a movie or TV obligation could interrupt this; his appearance cannot be guaranteed even though he really likes to appear or practice with The Beach Boys.
Back by popular demand after last season's sold-out show is Neil Berg's best of Broadway review, on Apr. 7. Neil Berg's 102 Years of Broadway is an all-new show featuring Broadway hits sung by a cast of talented performers who have performed in many Broadway shows. Selections include music from Phantom of the Opera, Annie, Wicked, Showboat, Cabaret, Sound of Music, and hits from George Gershwin, Kander and Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Weber and other notable composers. A reviewer for Buffalo News proclaimed of the performance, "It's one of the finest shows I've ever seen."
On Apr. 10, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, for ages four and older and their families, deconstructs the tradition of the fairy tale in a lighthearted show. Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the production features delightful characters who slide in and out of tales: Cinderella rebuffs Rumpelstiltskin and Goldilocks meets the Three Elephants, for example.
On Apr. 11, the Van Wezel is the site of Barbra & Frank: The Concert That Never Was. The hit show from Las Vegas is the ultimate fantasy - two of the greatest voices joining together for the concert of a lifetime. Featuring two of the top impersonators in show business, Sharon Owens (who is from St. Petersburg and graduated from USF) and Sebastian Anzaldo, Barbra & Frank is an evening filled with Streisand and Sinatra classics along with duets of their signature songs.
Celtic Crossroads, on Apr. 14, takes Irish music to an entirely new level, doing to Irish music what Riverdance has done to Irish dance. Fresh from Ireland, the show redefines Irish music by going right to the heart of its rhythms.
