Seven world-class musicians, playing over 20 instruments, captivate audiences with a wonderful fusion of musical genres including eastern European Gypsy, North American bluegrass, world classical and jazz, and the various forms of Celtic music from around the world.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, called one of the coolest swing bands on the road today, showcases their retro cool sound at the Van Wezel on Apr. 15. After gaining mainstream popularity with their breakthrough performance in Swingers, the band has gone on to become one of the most popular touring bands, carrying on the tradition of the legendary big bands and orchestras. Their notable singles include Go Daddy-O, You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby), and Mr. Pinstripe Suit.
Neil Sedaka, one of the seminal names in rock and roll - and one of its greatest influences - appears in concert Apr. 19. Sedaka's chart-toppers include The Diary; Oh! Carol; Stairway to Heaven; Calendar Girl; Little Devil; Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen; Next Door To An Angel and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. The consummate musician, vocalist and songwriter has received numerous awards and accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His legendary life and career are the subjects of a new musical, Laughter in the Rain, which premiered this month (March 2010) in England.
The best of Broadway continues on Apr. 20 and Apr. 21 with Xanadu, called "heaven on wheels" by The New York Times. Xanadu follows the journey of the magical and beautiful Greek muse Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, CA in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve "the greatest artistic creation of all time" - the first roller disco. When Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of The Situation and chaos abounds. The hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. Songs include Magic, All Over The World, Suddenly, I'm Alive, Evil Woman, Have You Never Been Mellow and Xanadu, to name a few.
To wrap up the month of events at the Van Wezel, on Apr. 23, the famed multi-phonic singers of Tibet's Drepung Loseling Monastery will perform Sacred Music, Sacred Dance for World Healing as part of their international tour of The Mystical Arts of Tibet. The performance, which sold out Carnegie Hall, features unique singing and traditional instruments such as 10-foot long dung-chen horns, drums, bells, cymbals and gyaling trumpets. The show is co-produced by actor Richard Gere.
For more information about all shows and to buy tickets, contact the Van Wezel Box Office at 941- 953-3368 or log onto www.vanwezel.org. Dinner is available prior to most shows by Michael's on East at the Van Wezel by calling (941) 366-0007 or logging onto www.bestfood.com.
Set along Sarasota's beautiful bayfront, the landmark Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is celebrating its 40th anniversary of entertaining audiences with a variety of music, dance, theater, comedy and children's shows. Its mission is to present a broad spectrum of the world's finest performing artists in order to meet the diverse cultural needs of all of Southwest Florida's residents and visitors. The Van Wezel is also committed to bringing visiting artists into the community for meaningful education and outreach programs.
