On May 15, The Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center announced the schedule of its 21st season that will highlight 23 different performances from June 2019 to May 2020.
The new season features a large variety of shows, including Grammy Award winners, tributes to iconic artists, storytellers and theatrical productions.
“We purposefully have a great diversity in the season,” BPACC Director Michael Bollinger said. “Everybody has different tastes.”
Marc Cohn, Grammy Award winner and writer of “Walking in Memphis,” will be the first of several award-winning songwriters. Los Lobos, who wrote a version of “La Bamba,” will be on stage in November, and Sandi Patty, Christian artist who has won five Grammys and 40 Dove Awards, will be performing a Christmas concert in December.
“Many of these artists have performed all over the world and or are Grammy, CMA, Dove and blues award winners,” Bollinger said. “They’re really exceptional entertaining artists.”
Bollinger attributes BPACC’s ability to attract award-winning talent to having a good reputation among artists, a unique venue and successful timing regarding an artist’s location and pricing.
“BPACC means that folks don’t have to drive to downtown to enjoy a world-class artist,” Bollinger said.
The first tribute to a former artist will be a group recreation of the Eagles band. Emmy nominee Angela Ingersoll will celebrate Judy Garland, Marty Haggard will pay tribute to his late father Merle Haggard and A.J. Croce will sing the songs of his father Jim Croce. These are just a few of the several tributes that will be performed at BPACC.
“They [the audience] love the music. I just try to give them the very best quality experience,” Bollinger said. “You hear a song and it makes you think of a different time.”
Individual storytellers and family-friendly performances include “Steve Trash: Ecology is Awesome,” Kate Haas, who tells “The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus” and Janice Griot, who tells the story of Harriet Tubman.
Another family-friendly performance will be an upbeat youth theater production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” which is “A loving send-up of the 1960s small-town America, teenagers, and rock ’n’ roll.”
In November, the drama “Smoke on the Mountain-Homecoming” will be on stage as this musical features 25 bluegrass/gospel songs in a story about a 1940s pastor’s family adapting to leaving their former church.
The season will end in May with a performance of “Steel Magnolias,” which is about trying times testing women’s spirits in Truvy’s Southern salon.
BPACC offers a subscription program along with general box office tickets. Subscriptions include pre-ordering tickets to five shows with a 25% savings.
Seats can be reserved, and tickets go on sale June 17.
“Whatever show they’re going to come to, it will be exceptional,” Bollinger said.
To access a list of shows and to purchase tickets, visit bpacc.org or call (901) 385-6440.
