Capitol Center for the Arts Season to Include BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Margaret Cho and More

The Capitol Center for the Arts today announced an exciting lineup of performances for its seventeenth season. Three national Broadway tours come to Concord during the 2012-13 season: Beauty and the Beast on January 2 & 3, A Chorus Line on February 8, and HAIR on April 17. A diverse line-up of music is also featured, including the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, who were also recently featured on The Hunger Games soundtrack, on September 13; powerhouse vocal -quartet The Manhattan Transfer on January 24, and a special evening featuring renowned guitarist Jimmy Herring and acclaimed bassist Victor Wooten on November 16.

Fans of Comedy won’t be disappointed by Margaret Cho, appearing on September 30, and the political commentary is sure to be hot when Henry Rollins comes to the Capitol Center on October 27 as part of tour of U.S. state capitols. More information on these and the other shows in the 2012-13 season available at ccanh.com.

This season, the CCA is excited to announce the launch of two exciting new series: Showtime Sundays, a series of four family friendly performances that take place at 1pm & 4pm on Sundays. For this inaugural year, performances featured are Angelina Ballerina the Musical on November 4, Bubblemania with international Soap Bubble Artist Casey Carle on January 27, One-Man Star Wars Trilogy on February 17, and Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo on April 14. In addition to these great new family offerings, the 2012-13 season marks the launch of the On The Edge series. This year the series features three dynamic string-based performances, David Wax Museum on September 23, California Guitar Trio + Montreal Guitar Trio on October 11, and Parkington Sisters, hot off opening shows for the Dropkick Murphys and Mavis Staples, on February 22.

Tickets for all 2011-2012 shows go on sale at a season preview open house Wednesday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 8p.m. in the Center’s Governor’s Hall. All are welcome to this free event, which will feature video previews of the season, extended box-office hours, and a cookout. In addition, all fees will be waived for tickets purchased during the May 23rd open house.

For those who can’t make the May 23 open house, tickets will go on sale to the general public Thursday, May 24, at 11 a.m. and can be purchased by phone at (603) 225-1111, online at ccanh.com, or at the box office, located at 44 South Main Street, Concord NH 03301, during regular business hours, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Many others shows will be added to the 2011-2012 Season, but here’s the lineup that will go on sale May 23:

Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond
Friday, August 10, 8pm

“Memoir” includes film footage and photos from Peter’s considerable personal archive, brought to life with a storyteller’s gift, transporting audiences back to the heart of 60s popular culture. Icons such as Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Carole King, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt are among the cast of characters in this narrative - along with the greatly missed Gordon Waller.

Carolina Chocolate Drops
Thursday, September 13, 7:30pm

With their 2010 Nonesuch debut, Genuine Negro Jig-which garnered a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy last year-the Carolina Chocolate Drops proved that the old-time, fiddle and banjo-based music they’d so scrupulously researched and passionately performed could be a living, breathing, ever-evolving sound. The virtuosic trio’s approach was provocative and revelatory.

David Wax Museum
Sunday, September 23, 7:30pm

David Wax Museum fuses exuberant Mexican roots music with homegrown country, folk, and rock to create a unique Mexo-Americana sound. With Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, accordion pumping, and donkey jawbone rattling, they have won over audiences across the country. The band’s new album, Everything Is Saved, produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter), has been drawing rave reviews from all corners and has propelled the band into the national spotlight.

Jeff Dearborn and the Contoocook Blues Society
Saturday, September 29, 8pm

Jeff Dearborn, his slick harp licks, and his band return to the Spotlight Café for a night of hard-driving blues. Joining Jeff for a special guest appearance will be renowned saxophonist “Sax” Gordon.

Margaret Cho
Sunday, September 30, 7:30pm

Margaret Cho is nothing if not frank, and this straightforward approach has made her one of the more instinctively entertaining comedians today. Cho began writing jokes for stand up at the tender and awkward age of 14. Soon after starting her stand up career, Margaret won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld.

California Guitar Trio + Montreal Guitar Trio
Thursday, October 11, 7:30pm

Internationally acclaimed Montreal Guitar Trio and California Guitar Trio join forces for this incredible collaboration of passion and talent. Six remarkable guitar virtuosos take the stage with a performance that explores intricate original compositions as well as new arrangements of progressive rock, jazz, world, and classical music. The sounds of legendary groups like Queen, The Beatles and Pink Floyd are delivered with solid guitar artistry and a quick sense of humour.

Late Night Catechism
Sunday, October 21, 7:30pm
Late Nite Catechism is an uproariously funny play that takes the audience back to their youth. The irrepressible Sister teaches class to a roomful of “students.” Throughout the course of the class the benevolent instructor rewards the “students” for correct answers with glow-in-the-dark rosaries and other nifty prizes. Naughty students may well find themselves on stage sitting in a corner reflecting on their actions. However, even the most reluctant “students” will be clamoring to get into this Sister’s class.

Henry Rollins
Saturday, October 27, 8pm

Spoken word artist, musician, actor, author, radio show host, columnist, iconic cultural gadfly, and frontman for the Rollins Band and the seminal punk band Black Flag, Henry Rollins is above all else a self-described “workaholic.” His spoken word performances are a seamless mix of humor and outrage; political commentary and personal anecdote; healthy skepticism and rugged optimism. Rollins comes to Concord as part of a tour of U.S. state capitols, where he will turn his attention to the political sphere just in time for election season.

Susan Werner
Friday, November 2, 8pm

Susan Werner composes skillful songs that effortlessly slide between folk, jazz, and pop, all delivered with sassy wit and classic Midwestern charm. Throughout her expansive career, boundless versatility has emerged as a hallmark of Werner’s talent, and has proven to be a quintessential ingredient of her engrossing musical persona.

Angelina Ballerina the Musical
Sunday, November 4, 1pm & 4pm

Angelina And her friends Alice, Gracie, AZ, Viki, and even their teacher, Ms. Mimi, are all aflutter because a famous visitor is coming to Camembert Academy! Angelina And her friends will perform all types of dance, including hip-hop, modern, the Irish jig and, of course, ballet. Angelina is the most excited of all, but will she get the starring moment she hopes for? Based on the CG-animated series, Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps on PBS KIDS®, Angelina Ballerina The Musical is a family-friendly show that will have the entire audience dancing in the aisles.

Maine’s wicked funny comedian Bob Marley
Saturday, November 10, 7pm

Bob Marley is one of the hottest and most sought-after comedians in the country. He has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late- night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. Marley was also named one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch,” and has appeared in several films, including the cult favorite, Boondock Saints.

Victor Wooten Band / Jimmy Herring Band
Friday, November 16, 8pm

Praised as the most influential bassist since Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten is known for his solo recordings and tours and as a member of the Grammy-winning supergroup, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. Continuing the tradition of virtuosity forged by James Brown, Funkadelic, and Prince, Vic returns to the road with his nonstop acrobatic family of funketeers, The Victor Wooten Band. After over thirty years in the game and stints with such beloved outfits as Widespread Panic, the Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends, the Other Ones, the Allman Brothers, Col. Bruce Hampton’s Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz is Dead, and others, guitarist Jimmy Herring hits the road with The Jimmy Herring Band.

Bellydance Superstars Presents The Magic of Dance
Saturday, November 17, 8pm

There is something very special about dance. There is a special magic to the human body moving well that we can all relate to. Add captivating music, glamour and pageantry and no wonder TV dance shows became such an overnight sensation. The latest show from the Bellydance Superstars is the culmination of 10 years of touring the world – over 800 shows in 25 countries – pushing the boundaries of the art of bellydance to capture the artistry, magic and passion of this unique dance.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers

Friday, November 23, 7pm

If you see one group of multi-faceted new-vaudevillians at the apex of their ambidextrous and alliterative ability, see THE Flying Karamazov Brothers also. They are not your father’s wild-haired, juggling, flame-throwing, kilt-and-tutu-wearing performers. Each night, the audience is invited to bring objects to the theater for the FKBs to keep airborne in a challenge that ends either with a pie in the face or a standing ovation. As director / founder/ performer Paul Magid says, “Juggling is dropping.” Julia Roberts had to go all the way to India to learn the same thing; you need only see THE Flying Karamazov Brothers.

The Improvised Shakespeare Co.
Wednesday, November 28, 7:30pm

Based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) The Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates a fully improvised play in Elizabethan style. Each of The Players has brushed up on his “thee’s” and “thou’s” to bring you an evening of off-the-cuff comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Any hour could be filled with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, sprites, kings, queens, princesses, sword-play, rhyming couplets, asides, insults, persons in disguise and all that we’ve come to expect from the pen of the Great Bard. The night could reveal a tragedy, comedy, or history. Nothing is planned-out, rehearsed, or written. Each play is completely improvised, so each play is entirely new!

Bowfire Holiday Heart Strings
Wednesday, December 5, 7:30pm

BOWFIRE Holiday Heart Strings is a must-see musical and theatrical experience. New
arrangements of holiday classics, and some of the best of BOWFIRE, in a fast paced theatrical production. Celebrate the festive season with some of the world’s greatest violinists and fiddlers performing new arrangements of holiday classics. www.bowfire.com

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some!)
Thursday, December 6, 7:30pm

Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told – plus holiday traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to pop-culture and every carol ever sung. This madcap romp through the holiday season has become a favorite at theaters around the country. By Michael Carleton, Jim Fitzgerald and John K. Alvarez. Produced by Buck Hill Productions

Behold the Lamb of God
Saturday, December 8, 7:30pm

Named one of the 10 best albums of the decade, Behold the Lamb of God is a collection of songs about Jesus. Since 2000, Andrew Peterson and his friends have performed around the country, telling again and again this “true myth”, as C.S. Lewis called it, this tale that’s bigger than life, but is-astonishingly-true. The tour has become a yearly tradition not just for Andrew and the other artists on the tour, but for families and churches who attend the concert each season.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Saturday, December 15, 1pm & 4pm

The second annual performance of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” features over one hundred young performers from across New Hampshire and includes students of Eastern Ballet Institute, Concord Community Music School’s Purple Finches Children’s Chorus and live music by the Cabbageheads. Complementing the vivid choreography and costumes will be a spectacular eighteen-foot, light-up pear tree with a dancing partridge in her nest. The evening will feature everyone’s favorite holiday tunes and includes a heart-warming sing-along. From the vibrant “Partridge in a Pear Tree” to the dynamic “Twelve Drummers, Drumming”, this is a holiday performance not to be missed!

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Wednesday, January 2, 7pm & Thursday, January 3, 7pm

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. The smash hit Broadway musical is based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film. This eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide.

CATCH comedy night
Capitol Steps
Friday, January 18, 8pm

Join CATCH Neighborhood Housing for a hilarious evening with the Capitol Steps’ unique brand of musical political satire. Most cast members have worked on Capitol Hill: some for Democrats, some for Republicans, and others for politicians who firmly straddle the fence. No matter who holds office, there’s never a shortage of material. Says Steps founder Elaina Newport, “Typically the Republicans goof up, and the Democrats party. Then the Democrats goof up and the Republicans party. That’s what we call the two-party system.” All proceeds from the show benefit CATCH Neighborhood Housing.

The Manhattan Transfer
Thursday, January 24, 7:30pm

It’s been nearly forty years since Tim Hauser, a former Madison Avenue marketing executive, paid his bills by driving a New York City cab while aspiring to form a harmony vocal quartet sui generis that could authentically embrace varied musical styles and still create something wholly unique in the field of American popular song. Now, the four members of The Manhattan Transfer have proven themselves with worldwide sales in the millions, Grammy Awards by the dozen, and veterans of sold-out world tours.

Bubblemania: Comedy with a drip!

Sunday, January 27, 1pm & 4pm
International Soap Bubble Artist Casey Carle creates an event loaded with visual art, quick wit, swing music, and amazing soap bubble manipulations - from stunning fog-filled bubble sculpture and bubble dance concerts to trapping people inside giant bubbles! Amazement and amusement for ages 5-95. Over 2,500 performances since 1989.

A Chorus Line
Friday, February 8, 8pm

In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It’s what they’ve worked for - with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed -- to have the chance to dance. This is A Chorus Line, the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line. Winner of nine Tony Awards®, including “Best Musical” and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this singular sensation is the longest-running American Broadway musical ever. Now A Chorus Line returns. Come meet the new generation of Broadway’s best.

‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3

Sunday, February 10, 7:30pm

After teaching countless students about the saints, venial sins, limbo and more, Sister is now offering up hilarious lessons on the Sacraments of Marriage and the Last Rites, including her own wacky version of the Newlywed Game. Classroom participation is a must, so bring along your sweetie and your sense of humor for a session with the country’s feistiest couples counselor!

One-Man Star Wars Trilogy
Sunday, February 17, 1pm & 4pm

The extremely talented Canadian actor Charles Ross will stun you with his One Man Star Wars Trilogy. Much of Ross’ childhood was spent in a galaxy far, far away, watching Star Wars videos over - and over - and over again. The result of this misspent youth is his hilarious One-Man Star Wars™ Trilogy, where he single-handedly plays all the characters, sings the music, flies the ships, fights the battles, and condenses the plots into just sixty minutes!

Parkington Sisters
Friday, February 22, 8pm

Raised in a wildly musical household in Wellfleet, Mass., the Parkington Sisters create an aural experience that is both magnetic in its delivery and genuine in its emotional impact. Rose, Nora, Sarah, and Ariel Parkington are classically-trained multi-instrumentalists who have combined their talents in composition and songwriting. Indie-folk with a classical twist, their music is embodied by vibrant string arrangements combined with tight, interwoven four-part vocal harmonies and gorgeous, blending voices. Ambitious and intricate, the Parkington Sisters produce an undeniable expression of sisterhood, performing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, with the Dropkick Murphys, and opening for Mavis Staples at Boston’s Symphony Hall.

“A Moment in Time”A Tribute to Duke Ellington Featuring the acclaimed Metta Quintet

Sunday, March 10, 4pm
From the early Cotton Club years to the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, his sacred concerts, film scores, and symphony compositions, the legacy of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington and his profound impact on American music is unequaled. For over fifty years, “Duke” personified the great American jazz art form and has been hailed as one of America’s greatest composers. The Capitol Center Jazz Orchestra along with the New York based METTA QUINTET, a highly creative unit comprised of some of today’s brightest emerging jazz artists, will pay homage to the music of Duke Ellington and his incredible legacy.

Late Nite Catechism Las Vegas: Sister Rolls the Dice!

Friday, April 12, 8pm

The convent needs a new roof, so the order has decided to pool their salaries together and send Sister with her teaching certificate in-hand, (along with her extensive gambling experience running the Church Bingo for the last 25 years) to Las Vegas! Her new class will cover the entire history of gambling, as she tries her luck at some Texas Hold’em. She will discuss magic-versus-mysticism in the church, card counting, and the dangers of pawnshops and drive-through marriage chapels! Sister will remind you that “What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas”, but God Sees Everything! Presented by MJ Entertainment.

Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo™Created and performed by Erth-Visual & Physical Inc.

Sunday, April 14, 1pm & 4pm

Dinosaur Petting Zoo™ allows heaps of interaction for kids and adults while they travel with Erth’s multi-faceted performers on a journey through prehistoric ages. Experience an amazing selection of dinosaurs and creatures that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Audiences will have the opportunity to feed, water and care for these prehistoric marvels via simple lessons in animal husbandry. The Meganuera, Dwarf Allosaur and Leallynasaura can’t wait to be petted and fed. Dare you get too close?

HAIR
Wednesday, April 17, 7:30pm

The Public Theater’s new Tony-winning production of HAIR is an electric celebration on stage! This exuberant musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. HAIR features an extraordinary cast and unforgettable songs, including “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard.” Its relevance is UNDENIABLE. Its energy is UNBRIDLED. Its truth is UNWAVERING. It’s HAIR, and IT’S TIME. For Mature Audiences. While many find this show suitable for young adults (13 and older), parental discretion is advised. There is a dimly lit 20-second scene with nudity that is non-sexual in nature.

“A Moment in Time”A Tribute to Count Basie Featuring Drummer & Basie Alumnus Butch Miles
Sunday, May 19, 4pmAs a distinguished part of the “royalty” of American jazz , The Count, also known as ”The Kid from Red Bank,” led one of the most swinging and influential big bands in history. The very word “Basie” is synonymous with big band swing. Joining the Capitol Center Jazz Orchestra is former Basie drummer Butch Miles. Butch is considered one of the most important big band drummers alive today and was a pivotal influence on the Basie band of the 1970’s, recording such classics as “Wind Machine” and “Freckle Face.”